Erised and The Marauders - The Term of Truth Year 7
by Michelle Claire Williams
Summary: Amalthea Erised and The Marauders are in their final year with their world is on the edge of war. An optional task towards a distinction on their NEWTS is available but what happens when the Goblet chooses unexpected partners? Can Amalthea set aside old feelings to win? Sometimes feelings can't be set aside... Snape X OC (Romance/Angst/Mystery)
1. Chapter 1

Return To Hogwarts

It was the start of a new term, their last and final year; the regular and only train to Hogwarts was filled with energetic students, laughing and running from carriage to carriage to greet their fellow classmates they'd missed over the summer, and  
the atmosphere with thick with warmth and happy voices talking anxiously about returning to their school.

In one of the carriages a girl sat her raven waves framing her pale and solemn face as she sat looking out at the countryside flying past her, she had not even noticed when a bunch of loud students started filing in and falling heavily into their  
seats with the exhaustion from carrying their trunks.

A bespectacled boy named James and a girl with flame red hair, Lily, were deep in conversation and took their places in the corner grinning and laughing quietly; Remus a thin boy with a scar diagonally cut across his left eye was eating some every  
flavour beans when he gagged in disgust and ran over to the window to spit out a suspiciously orange looking one. Sirius entered last, a handsome boy and one of the most popular in school, he was tall and slim with fashionably messy chin length  
hair and a cheeky grin. As the others made their hellos to the girl by the window and talked amongst themself, Sirius was the only one who had made any attempt to break her gaze away from the rushing countryside outside.

"Hey, looking forward to going back Amalthea?" he asked touching her on the shoulder gently. The girl jumped with a start and stood up pulling her wand out and pointing it directly between Sirius' eyes.

"Sirius." She said with relief, "I didn't know it was you! Don't do that to me I could have hexed you!" she said calming down once she'd realised who it was.

"No need to get so touchy!" Sirius said with a wide grin on his face he sat down and leaned back against Remus, who gave him a disgusted look.

"Get off me!" Remus said pushing Sirius away. "What are you like? I don't know who's worse, you or him." He continued looking over at James.

"What?" James said trying to sound innocent.

"What indeed." Remus said quietly and with that resumed inspecting his sweets for something safe.

Lily turned to Amalthea whilst the boys started fighting playfully. "Are you ok...Manage to get things sorted over the summer? Wish I could have come over to help you, but mum and dad had the trip already planned to see my grandparents, it was really  
boring actually..." She trailed off with a guilty look.

"It's alright, I did, I was really busy actually...but at least we're going back now." Amalthea said trying to conceal her feelings as much as possible, she had had an awful summer but wasn't going to share her bad mood with the others.

Lily and Amalthea had been friends since the start of Hogwarts when they met on the train and even though they were in different houses it had never been an issue. Over the past year though Amalthea had kept her distance from Lily and all her friends  
preferring quiet solitude, her father had been killed the previous year in suspicious circumstances and she was still deep in thought about the whole thing trying to hide all emotion from them.

James rubbed his hands together. "Yeah, back to Hogwarts. You know what this means don't you Padfoot." He laughed.

"Mischief managed." Sirius said patting his trunk.

"You better watch yourselves this year." Lily said looking at James and Sirius in turn, who had both turned to her knowing exactly what she was talking about. "It's our final year, we've got the prefects watching us, and I don't want any trouble  
from Slytherin trying to expel us at the last minute."

Amalthea continued to gaze through the window but listened more closely in interest, but also trying to make sure that no one could see her. She had received a letter back in the fourth year and had opened it to find a blue and silver prefects badge.  
She had not felt surprised for some strange reason; she had had a feeling that she would have been picked, she'd kept herself out of trouble as much as was possible around the Marauders.

"Bloody Slytherins. Bloody Lucius controlling them." James huffed, a look of gloom spreading over his darkened face. "I don't think I can face that smarmy look on his face this year without punching him." James crossed his arms and thrust his head  
against the cushion of his seat.

"No James, I don't think you will have to worry about Lucius, he caused too much trouble last term, like you and Sirius, you all need to be careful." Lily sighed, but Sirius and James just looked at each other and shrugged. "Well, I'm warning you  
anyway."

"Yes there's only one Slytherin we need to worry about." Remus said with a small sigh and Lily nodded in agreement. "Just think who gets all the outstandings in their work? Its not hard to imagine a certain someone landing us in it for revenge, hmm?"  
A huge groan suddenly rose in the cabin, loud enough to pass down the entire carriage and attract some interested and nosy students who were passing by.

"Snivellus. I hope you're wrong, Moony." James said giving him a stern look.

"Don't call him that." Lily muttered under her breath and James sighed giving her a weak smile.

Remus shrugged his shoulders, "It was just a thought. Well we'll find out when we get back won't we." Remus looked over and caught Amalthea looking down at something she had pulled out of her pocket gleaming in the remaining sunlight.

"They made a good choice in Ravenclaw at least." Remus said smiling. "Lease we've got allies looking out for us, eh? Amalthea?"

"Yeah, you too." She smiled.

"My beautiful girl is a perfect prefect!" Sirius said in baby patronising voice leaning over to look at her badge and lean on her shoulder. "So that's two people who aren't going to land us in trouble we don't have to worry about!"

"Get off." Amalthea grinned pushing him away by the face.

"I wouldn't count on that just yet." Remus said coolly.

"Don't forget about me and James." Lily said placing her hand upon James' their fingers entwining, head boy and head girl, together. "We'll be watching too."

A short boy with blonde hair poked his head around the corner and smiled. "Didn't know where you were, so I met Arthur and sat with him next door." The boy said excitedly, sliding into the seat next to Remus, who offered him a sweet.

"No thanks." The boy said, "I had a bad experience with a brown one I thought was chocolate!" and he looked a little ill.

"Had a nice summer Peter?" Lily asked.

"Not too bad." He said.

They all continued to talk and tell stories of the interesting things they had done over the summer but Amalthea had begun staring out of the window again and she looked a little distant. She'd been terribly lonely all summer; she had spent most of  
it sorting out some of her fathers remaining affairs, seeing to things she had no understanding of and signing forms all day, she had not been in the mood to do much else but when she had some spare time she had sat out in the garden thinking  
and wishing her father back into existence. Amalthea thought coming back to Hogwarts she wouldn't be as lonely but she felt as isolated as ever.

"You ok." Sirius said leaning his head on her shoulder.

"It was very long summer, I'm exhausted from it all." She sighed turning to face him.

"Well, you would have been welcome to come and visit us over at James' house. Remus came, we played quidditch most of the time. Mum even asked about you the last time I saw her..." Amalthea looked even more miserable now and leaned her head against  
the window.

Sirius was always putting his foot in things, sometimes she wished he would just be quiet or a normal good student who didn't get into trouble, but then he wouldn't have been Sirius, and he wouldn't have been one of her closest, if not best friend.  
The Black and Erised families had been close for many years, Amalthea still remembered the day she first met Sirius, a scruffy five year old clad in dark attire next to her, a five year old Amalthea bright and full of hope for the future, how  
their lives had changed.

"But we thought you might need time alone after what happened. Was that right? Are you alright?" Sirius whispered, he put his arm round her and she sighed.

"Yeah." She said sadly and then smiled faintly up at him. "I will be."

Sirius wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye and then she continued to look out the window until she drifted asleep against him.

"Hey, hey, come on, we're here." Someone said nudging Amalthea a few hours later. She opened her eyes and saw Remus leaning over her. "You two slept through the whole journey! We're here now, come on, get your stuff." He said then left the compartment  
to find his own things. Amalthea and Sirius sat up wearily and then left for the platform, which was bustling with excitement.

All the students were hauling their luggage off the trains and then lining up with their fellow classmates and awaiting orders. Amalthea put her stuff alongside all the others and ran over to Lily who was gesturing her over.

"Carriages again, better find one quick before we have to jump in with Slytherins. At least it's a fine evening for the first years." Lily said and they both looked over at the small first years, all who looked like they were trembling with fear,  
their wide eyes looking around them nervously. "Do you remember the rain when we went in the boats that first year?"

"I know. It doesn't seem that long ago we were standing there. "Amalthea remarked. "Now we're the oldest in the school. Have you been studying this summer for your NEWT's?"

Lily looked a little embarrassed and wrinkled her nose. "Well, erm, I should have been but I was extremely busy... er... not really, maybe a bit, come on!" she said quickly and began to walk ahead as the crowd started moving.

Sirius and James were having fun taking it in turns prodding Remus in the back with their wands and frustrated as he was becoming he tried to ignore them but to no avail, instead he produced his own wand and began returning fire.

Amalthea and Lily looked at each other, shook their heads but then looked at each other slyly and produced their own wands creeping quietly up behind Sirius and James then thrust their wands into their side. The two leapt with a yelp and as they returned  
to the ground rubbed their sides and shot the giggling girls a disdainful look.

"What did you have to do that for?" Sirius whinged.

"Oh come on, leave Remus alone will you, he always gets on the receiving end of your pranks." Lily said running up to Remus who was looking slightly pleased with himself when Lily stated to mother him.

"Poor Moony." James said retching but trying to conceal his jealousy.

Amalthea was now looking around the crowd for the people from her own house Ravenclaw, she didn't share Gryffindor like Sirius, Remus, James, Lily and Peter. Amalthea was more of a loner, she didn't really care for hanging around with her own housemates  
as they were all a little strange and most of them snobbish because they were all from very clever and very well thought of wizarding families.

Amalthea had no one in her family now, she and her father had been the last, and they'd had to keep themselves hidden in the Muggle world lest they end up the same as their siblings. Amalthea's family were the Erised's, a long line of seers who had  
been killed off rather than died. Thirst for knowledge and power was a common thing in both the past and these dark days now and so was the ability to stop at nothing to get it. It had recently claimed her father Astralabe and she had sworn she  
would not let it claim her.

Pausing in her tracks for a moment she thought she saw someone looking her way through the crowd then Lily pulled her onwards to meet up with the others but Amalthea continued to look back trying to search for a pair of familiar eyes that had been  
staring at her. Lily came to a halt and Amalthea bumped into her, so she apologised and then gave up looking.

"Come on; get in before some other lucky girls do." Sirius smiled leaning out of a carriage and Remus and James began clambering in.

"Quick, we wouldn't want to miss this one." Amalthea said sarcastically.

"Hey!" Remus and James shouted in unison as they both fell onto the ground awkwardly. Sirius followed them with a loud thud and hysterical laughter preceded the menacing stature of Lucius Malfoy.

"Enjoy your trip." He smirked.

"That's our's Malfoy!" James shouted getting to his feet and brushing himself down.

"I don't see your name on it Potter." He sneered. Through the crowd the other Slytherins came through pushing students aside as they neared the carriage. Narcissa entered the carriage first, her long blonde hair flowing behind her as she held her  
nose in the air; then Crabbe and Goyle followed leering at students who were reluctant to move; then Snape, taller than all of the students around him, his overly large and layered robes billowing out across the ground so that it did not look  
as if he were walking at all.

Snape glared at Sirius and James as he passed and jumped into the carriage leaning out of the window. He looked across his 'enemies' as though they were lesser than him and then turned to watch Lucius as he started to taunt them.

Lucius stared at them with his piercing blue eyes. "You better watch your backs. I've got people watching you lot, don't want to get expelled before graduation do we..." His eyes then turned to Remus. "Count yourself lucky you're a prefect Lupin,"  
he said coldly staring at Remus' golden badge, "but if I see you deducting points or giving detention to any of my housemates then I'll find a way to have each and everyone one of you expelled including you; and believe me, I have ways." He slammed  
the door and the carriage pulled away.

"One of these days I'll... I'll!" Sirius growled.

"He's not worth it!" Amalthea said pulling Sirius towards another carriage.

"How has he got the cheek to tell me what to do?" Remus said. "I'll get them when they're not expecting it. I'm sick of people thinking I'm a pushover, and I might just use my authority one day..."

"Don't let if get to you. I hate him. He's a disgrace to this school. Well if that's what a long line of pure blood looks like then I feel ashamed to not be a mudblood." Lily scowled, she looked over at Amalthea suddenly realised. "Oh... sorry...  
well you and your family are decent pure-blood's."

"What's left." She huffed. Her gaze strayed back to the Slytherin carriage and she caught a glimpse of Snape looking back at what seemed to be her, but she could have been mistaken, or not, Amalthea hadn't been particularly nice to him in the past  
either . Snape and Amalthea had not had a run in with each other for many years now, because over the years they had both grown up more than the others and they had never given each other reason to argue. He was always quick on the draw to say  
something very cold and callous to the others, at times he could be worse than Lucius because his remarks were well thought out first in his calculating mind.

Amalthea wouldn't have liked to be on the receiving end of one of his retorts these days, she wasn't too good at receiving them as she often got very angry and had landed herself in detention in the past but these days she feared she was too weak  
and would end up in tears. Most of all she didn't like the way Sirius always went for whoever insulted her.

Sirius had liked Amalthea since their fourth year at Hogwarts, he had never said anything to her but the others had, and by now teasing him about it had got rather old. They had all just accepted that Amalthea and Sirius were too good as friends to  
ever make anything happen now. Amalthea didn't like Sirius that way; she had always felt a close bond to him, more of a brother than anything else. He protected her and looked after her even though she told him constantly that she could look after  
herself.

The night was completely black when they arrived at the gates of Hogwarts. Keeping close to each other as not to loose their friends, all of the students huddled together wrapping their robes around them to shield themselves from the cold night air.  
Inside Hogwarts they all began chatting again as they walked in two's into the great hall for their start of term feast, they were all seated and the regular proceedings went ahead. The first years were sorted into their houses and then seated  
themselves at the tables then Dumbledore rose from his seat to give out the beginning of term notices.

"Welcome! Welcome all. It is lovely to see some familiar faces and some new ones." He smiled down at the first years that were still trembling. "Now, this year we have some interesting news, I and my staff have decided that we will make a prestigious  
offer to the students studying NEWTs in their final year." The hall fell silent but there were murmurs of excited talking.

Dumbledore began to speak again but louder, "We have something else in mind, something that will test yourselves and your minds in very different aspects." Dumbledore for a moment smiled looking around the hall pausing on different people. Amalthea  
was surprised to find that she was one of these people. "For this year, we have added an extra optional challenge for students studying NEWTS to gain a distinction in one of the subjects they are taking. It will be a test of skills." Talking ensued  
again, but not for long. When the hall quietened again Dumbledore resumed, clearing his throat.

"This year you will have the option to be paired up into two's and be set the assignment of both studying together, working as a team and completing a project that will be judged by the teachers and myself. These projects will be judged and there  
will also be prizes for first, second and third position for the best and most original ideas alongside a special distinction."

"Wow think of that." Sirius said in an awed tone looking over a James. "Us two redeeming our soiled reputations by winning."

"Yeah, then everyone would love us!" James exclaimed. Lily pouted looking disregarding at both of them; she could tell they were both just messing around as usual.

"Well I think this is quite serious. We're certainly going to have a good go at it, aren't we!" she said in contempt and turning to the table behind them where Amalthea sat. "You're going to take up this offer aren't you? We're going to win this aren't  
we?" Lily repeated to Amalthea who was somewhere in dreamland as usual.

"What? Oh, yeah." But truthfully Amalthea didn't care; she was still deep in thought and feeling relieved she was back at Hogwarts as lonely as she still felt. Amalthea looked up at Dumbledore and was surprised to see his eyes fixed on her. He and  
her father had known each other before she had been born and he had spent days sat drinking tea in her garden discussing matters of the wizarding world that she didn't have a clue about. It had been halfway through her schooling that Dumbledore  
had invited Astralabe, her father to come and teach Divination at the school before the previous year of his death.

"Quiet." He said, and the room fell silent. "Before you begin pairing yourselves up and deciding your projects, I have a final word on our competition." Dumbledore straightened up and cleared his throat once more. "You will not be choosing your partners  
yourself. To make the task more testing and difficult we have decided to use The Goblet of Fire."

"What?" Sirius exclaimed banging his fist on the table. "Oh come on!"

"Shhh!" said Lily.

"That's a bit of a turn up for the books!" Remus joined in but Lily shot him a disgusted look also and he stuck out his tongue, smiled and turned back to Dumbledore.

"If the people interested would all like to write your names on the parchment before you and place it in the Goblet of Fire after the banquet you may all then go up to your common rooms and rest for the evening. Tomorrow morning the chosen few will  
remain behind in here after breakfast and will receive further instructions. In these dark days it is essential that we come together as one and unite in our endeavours to vanquish fear and segregation. I'm sure I will not be disappointed.

Amalthea was not phased by Dumbledores cryptic words, she knew exactly what he meant, the inevitable war.

"Lastly I would like to introduce the prefects to our new first years, they will be looking after you in your coming years. From Hufflepuff we have..." Dumbledore introduced the embarrassed students that stood up from the table to the left  
of the Gryffindor one slowly and smiled.

"From Gryffindor, Remus Lupin and James Potter, Lily Evans..." Remus and James stood up highly proud but Lily looking mortified simply turned bright red and remained in her seat until someone nudged her to stand.

"From Ravenclaw, Vance Argall and Amalthea Erised..." Amalthea and the other Ravenclaw prefects a little further down the table did not hesitate but rose slowly and surely. Amalthea did not look dare look round at all the students in the hall and  
kept her eyes fixed on the table, she'd always hated being in the limelight.

"And finally, from Slytherin," Dumbledore said loudly over the murmurs, "Narcissa Black, Severus Snape..." Narcissa stood shaking her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiling serenely. Opposite her next to Lucius, Severus stood slowly and too kept  
his eyes down at the table as the others jumped to their feet looking smug.

"I hope you will all respect their positions and hope they will not give you too much of a hard time. Again, welcome back and good luck!" and with this Dumbledore wearily sat down and the feast appeared.

The seventh year students were too busy talking and writing their names to even remember anything about the prefects or to notice the glorious food scattered across the table, and continued to talk enthusiastically through mouthfuls. Everyone was  
talking about how the Goblet was going to choose partners, some thought it would be random, others said it would choose their best friends; others didn't care and were more interested in the prize.

"I hope I get someone really clever to match me." Lily said scribbling her name.

"I bet I get stuck with someone I've never met." Remus said a little hopefully.

"They'll put me with you." Sirius said swallowing a piece of chicken leg and pointing the bone at James. "That Goblet knows we can't be split up, and anyway I think we might be able to do a little spell to fix us together."

"Who said I wanted to be with you." James said in mock disgust. "I want to be with my best friend Lucius of course." Everyone guffawed. Amalthea was eating her ice cream when her mind began to wonder who the Goblet would put her with. She wasn't really  
bothered; she didn't really have any problem with anyone, as long as it wasn't any of the Slytherins because they were generally nasty to everyone. She would have liked to work on her own; she didn't feel like being around anyone, maybe she wouldn't  
take part...still, a distinction called to her Ravenclaw roots and she couldn't resist.

Pushing the half eaten ice cream aside she pulled the parchment towards her and fished around in her pocket for a quill. She stared down at it blankly for a moment then neatly wrote her name. Everyone had finished their meals and the seventh years  
were hurriedly running to the front desk and placing their names into the goblet then finding their friends and hurrying off, most likely up to their common rooms to discuss ideas.

Amalthea rolled her eyes and got up with a huff, 'Let's go for it.' Making her way past the hundreds of students streaming the opposite way past her she began to feel rather angry as she was constantly bumped into and pushed aside, it didn't take  
much her emotions were raw and volatile still. There was still as small crowd near the goblet of about twenty students all lining up to put their names in.

Amalthea waited patiently and when she saw a space emerge she frustratedly stomped up but at the same time as someone else she had not seen. With a bit of a bump she turned to face the ignorant person who had nearly pushed her over into the flaming  
goblet with such a look of scorn it might have set them alight.

"Watch it!" Amalthea said and stepped back with a bit of a start and stared up. It was Snape, and he looked almost as moody as her. He looked down on her resentfully for a moment holding her stony gaze; Amalthea however did not flinch, she would have  
liked it if he had started something this time because she hadn't had a row with him since her early years in Hogwarts, it might make her feel better to have it out with someone.

Amalthea decided against starting anything, turning on her heel, her long black hair swished through the air and nearly hit him in the face; feeling a little triumphant she pushed her parchment into the goblet and it went up in a blaze of purple flames,  
then she walked back down the steps and held his gaze for a little longer before she marched from the room.

"What's the big idea?" said a voice running up behind her. It was Lily.

"Sorry?" Amalthea said her bad mood slackening.

"Your little run in with Snape. Looked as if you two were going to duel the way you were staring at each other." Lily said almost tripping up in an attempt to match Amalthea's steps.

"He practically knocked me over. He's so ignorant." Amalthea said through gritted teeth, her irritation increasing.

"Well, that's just Sev these days for you...More Slytherin by the day." Lily said dishearteningly and then smiled and held up her hand to wave to James and the others who were stood by the stairs waiting.

"Where've you two been? Come on, we're knackered." James said yawning loudly at the end.

"Doesn't take that long to put your name in a cup does it?"

"It's a Goblet." Amalthea said flatly.

"Sounds like someone's in a bad mood." Remus said under his breath to Sirius.

"I think you need some sleep more than all of us." Sirius said putting an arm around Amalthea's shoulders. "You lot go ahead, I'll meet you in the common room in a bit." The others giggled and made snide comments to each other before all walking off  
up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

"Come on, I'll walk you back before I go up. Make sure you don't have any more run-ins with the Slytherins." And with that they began to set off for the Ravenclaw common room, hidden behind the Knight.

"I can't stand him, or any of them, they're rude and nasty. I just wanted him to say something to me, something to really make me angry and then...and then..." Amalthea said clenching her fists.

"Yeah, but if anything had kicked off I wouldn't have just watched." Sirius crushed her into his side and then looked down. "No one messes with you whilst I'm around."

"Thanks." Amalthea said looking around; hopefully no one would see Sirius being so syrupy towards her. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Amalthea felt herself growing weary of Sirius already and began to quicken her steps as they came closer  
to her destination.

When they arrived Sirius leaned against the wall and fumbled around with some words. "So, tomorrow... yeah... can I meet you... you know if you want to I mean... I'll meet you in the morning... we could walk down together?"

Amalthea quickly uttered the password and then said, "I'll just see you down at breakfast like I always do. Goodnight James." Amalthea patted him on the shoulder and entered the safety of her common room.

Sirius banged his fist against the wall. "Great! Smooth, really smooth." And then he too marched away feeling very unimpressed with himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 -The Goblet Picks Unexpected Partners

The next morning Amalthea stretched and rubbed her eyes, she was surprised to find that all of the beds around her were empty and then in horrified shock she jumped out of bed and scrambled into her clothes. Pinning her hair back quickly she collected  
her robe and flew down the stairs and through the building, she was late.  
Scolding herself as she flew down the ever changing staircase she saw that a few others students were going down too so she wasn't as late as she'd thought. Calming herself a little she still, quite quickly, made her way down to the great hall where  
everyone was filing into it in a much disorganised fashion, all very keen to eat breakfast but more importantly, for those who had applied for the extra task to find out who their partners would be.

When they were all seated, Dumbledore stood. "Good morning. I trust that you all slept well." There was a feint muttering and some grumbling and yawning, no one had had much sleep due to their excitement of being back with their friends at Hogwarts  
and what would lie ahead this year.

"I know that some of you are most eager to get on with the day and have your excellent breakfast, so, once the goblet has chosen who is to go with whom, you will all collect your timetables and attend your appropriate lessons. The projects you are  
to accomplish together will be on a particular subject that you both attend. These projects must be original ideas with a great deal of time and effort involved, also they must be complete by the end of the term or marks will be deducted. The  
top three will then be discussed and placed into first, second and third positions. The grand prize for first, second and third places will be," Dumbledore paused for a moment, the hall was silent, "One thousand galleons each, one hundred house  
points and a special distinction each for first prize; five hundred galleons each and fifty house points each for second; and finally two hundred and fifty galleons each and twenty five house points each for third." There was a great deal of talking.

"If I win, my families not even going to have a sniff of the money." Sirius said coldly. "My mum hates me as it is. I'm going to go straight out to buy myself new clothes and put the rest towards a muggle bike!" Sirius looked around to the others  
who were all ignoring him and talking about what they wanted instead.

"Well I was going to buy a dress for the Yule ball." Lily said downhearted, "Looks like that's not happening if it's going to be announced when we're leaving. Some old thing for me I guess."

"That's ages away." Remus said, shoving some sort of sweet into his mouth.

"Hey, where's mine?" James said leaning across Lily to grab at his sweets. Remus recoiled and Lily struggled with the wriggling James lying across her.

"If you will all calm yourselves, the goblet will now begin to produce its partners." Dumbledore's voice rang out. James looked up and realised Dumbledore was looking at him, he pulled back and straightened himself up into proper head boy material.

"After the Goblet has paired everyone, breakfast will be served." Amalthea was in a brighter mood this morning and was happily chatting away with a fellow Ravenclaw when she heard Dumbledore, she sat up straight and leant back so she could talk to  
Lily.

"Well, here goes." Amalthea whispered. She caught Sirius' glance and he winked at her and then turned around. Amalthea smiled weakly back at him and sighed tiredly, she was sure that Sirius was up to something, or had done something.

On the teacher's table sat ominous Goblet, a strange and unusual artefact that seemed to have been with the school as long as it had been standing, suddenly it started to produce orange flames that soared in a very controlled fashion into the air.  
There was silence throughout the hall and then suddenly a name in fiery writing appeared in the flames. "Dacora Drake." Dumbledore called out. The flames changed to a slightly light colour of yellow and another name appeared. "Epheram Knight."

The Goblet continued to produce names, and there were brief interludes of talking between this. Everyone was in agreement that this was not the most ideal situation but they had to make do and most of the student were either happy with their chosen  
partner, or not entirely fussed, though some a little shocked or disgruntled.

"Lucius Malfoy." Dumbledore announced as the flames turned a bright red. "James Potter." James looked horrified, as did all of his friends. No one could believe their ears. Over at the Slytherin table, Lucius was protesting and looking outraged.

"No, this can't be right!" James said aghast and turning a deep shade magenta with anger.

"Lily Evans... Francine Jameson." "Well at least mine's not that bad, Francine's nice, she's from Hufflepuff." Lily said feeling relieved. James however was sulking and staring at Lucius who was staring back in the same irritated fashion both wishing  
they hadn't been so ambitious as to enter now.

"Remus Lupin." Dumbledore said a few minutes later. "Cassandra Hathaway." Remus began choking and Sirius had to hit him hard on the back with his fist before he stopped. The others were all smiling at Lupin as he came round and said, "Did they just  
say-"

"Yep, you're with Cassandra." Sirius grinned. Remus had had a crush on Cassandra since they started at Hogwarts, but he had never had the courage or reason to talk to her before, he'd just accepted they would never speak. He looked over to the end  
of the Hufflepuff table and saw her smiling and waving over at him, he waved back and he turned rather pink as he turned back round trying to hide his face.

"Peter Pettigrew... Sirius Black." Sirius nearly jumped into the air with joy, Peter was wringing his fingers together with a ginger look, his eyes darting across the others.

"Oh fantastic!" he exclaimed giving Peter a rough hug with his arm as he pulled him sharply into his side.

"Why's that then." Lily said suspiciously.

"Oh no reason." Sirius said, obviously hiding something.

"He's going to make Peter do all the work. Sirius, you don't have to take advantage of his good nature like that." Remus said almost as if Peter weren't even there, now completely normal and composed as usual. "Of course Peter is such a nice person  
he'd offer to do your homework even if he was bogged down with his own, but you're a better friend than that." Remus said giving Sirius a hard look and then smiling at Peter who didn't really know what to say so he kept silent.

"I suppose so." Sirius said pouting at Remus' reprimand.

Many names spilled out of the Goblet and Amalthea felt her stomach rumble, she was getting extremely hungry now, it seemed to her as if everyone had entered this task and now she was wishing she hadn't. It seemed like forever had been and gone and  
everyone had nearly been paired up though she had not paid much attention to who was with whom now, she had engaged herself in a conversation about the NEWT's with Lily when suddenly she heard her name called out.

"Amalthea Erised." Dumbledore announced. For a while the smoke fluctuated and swirled around, but then began to turn from bright purple to a dark emerald green and Amalthea felt her heart sink. It couldn't be the Slytherin colour. The smoke formed  
the words but she could not make out the words, then Dumbledore shouted across the hall the name she had feared he would. "Severus Snape." Amalthea felt lightheaded from the lack of food and shock, nearly falling off the bench but someone has  
caught her, she looked dazedly around to Lily who had a hand placed on her back and looked aghast. Lily moved her hand from Amalthea's back and placed her hand on Amalthea's shoulder in comfort instead but Amalthea leaned forward on the table  
unsure of what to do, it would look awful if she backed out now. She cast a glance over to where she had seen Lucius and the other Slytherins sittint and was surprised to find Snape sat with an unsure look on his face as well, clearly as surprised.  
The other Slytherins were guffawing and supposedly making jokes and she saw Snape cast them an evil stare before he looked round and caught her glance but sat stonily just staring across until she looked away.

Amalthea sat in mortified disbelief through breakfast and hardly touched a thing, she kept hearing people talking at her and telling her not to worry, but she remained in a daze and wasn't sure who exactly was talking to her, she just couldn't believe  
it, she thought she'd be able to make it through her last year without being involved in any drama but it seemed to follow her everywhere like a shadow. When breakfast was over everyone got to their feet and started to pair up. Reluctantly Lucius  
walked over to James and they exchanged mutual looks of hatred before exiting through the huge doors. Remus said his goodbye's and gave his condolences to Amalthea and then with a wide grin on his face ran over to Cassandra and started to engage  
in fumbled conversation. Lily patted Amalthea on the shoulder and also exited with Francine, whilst Sirius and Peter walked over to Amalthea and the three walked slowly out.

"Well, good luck, least you weren't as unlucky as James." Peter said.

"Listen, if he's nasty in any way-" Sirius started.

"He won't be. I'll be lucky if he says anything at all." Amalthea said and pushed Sirius and Peter off ahead of her; they waved and then were gone so Amalthea perched on the end of the Ravenclaw table as all the students passed her by and waited for  
Snape to approach her.

The hall was quite empty now, and Amalthea thought that he might have left without her. She looked around and could not see him anywhere, and then suddenly she sensed someone behind her and turned to see who it was. Snape stood with his arms crossed  
looking down at her. He seemed calm and collected unlike herself who was feeling damn right awkward. What was she going to say to him? He walked a few steps ahead and turned back to her. "It's Transfiguration first. Here's your timetable." He  
said flatly handing her a brand new crispy term timetable. She looked at it carefully, an excuse not to catch his gaze again. "We'll be late." He said again and gestured to the door.

Amalthea and Snape walked in silence, it didnt seem to bother him at all but she wanted to break the uncomfortable silence. She looked across at him and opened her mouth to say something polite but no words came out and she quickly returned her gaze  
to the floor. She felt so stupid, of course she didn't have anything nice to say to him. She wasn't sure what to think now, the whole thing had thrown her and she ended up letting her mind go off on tangents about how much work she thought that  
she'd receive this year, anything but this horrible silence you could cut with a knife.

It seemed like they had been walking for ages before the silence became too much and she finally spoke. "We could always appeal the decision." She said and then realised how stupid it must have sounded, the Goblet was definite and final in its decisions,  
so she continued, "Though probably not. I do wish it could have picked someone better." But then she realised how degrading that sounded to Snape or if her took it the other way, her, she didn't want to start any trouble so she tried once again,  
"Though come to think of it, we'll most probably win...Top students in each house." She smiled pleasantly and looked around; he had turned his head slightly and was giving her a bemused look. "I'll just shut up." She said under her breath getting  
angry as they approached Transfiguration.

During their next few lessons, Amalthea made various attempts to say something to break the ice, each time sounding either incredibly rude and not meaning to but still ghe remained silent and got on with his work. The only acknowledgement she received  
from him was the sly looks after she had said something, but at least it was something. He hadn't said anything nasty to her as yet; maybe he thought that she wasn't even worthy enough to speak to anymore or more likely he was biding his time  
for the perfect put down.

The last lesson of the day was Potions, Snape's forte, and they were going to make a strengthening potion. It was a very difficult formula and Amalthea had to read the instructions several times before she understood a thing. She collected the ingredients  
and went and sat back at the desk where Snape had already set up the equipment and was looking rather bored. She put the items down and stared at them for a moment, looking up at the formula again before she started to add the liquids together.

Having done the first part, she sat back and waited for it to be ready. "Have you had any ideas for the project?" she asked quietly, not daring to look around, she had to keep trying but why she just didn't know, she supposed it was because she hated  
being ignored. The rest of the class were in a bit of an uproar because their professor had left the room momentarily. After a few moments of silence and thinking she would get no reply she reached out for the next liquid to add and resumed talking  
again and she prepare to pour it in. "Because I was think that maybe-" she started tipping it. Snape's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist firmly.

She looked up in shock straight at him and he exclaimed, "Not that one!" and just as a drop plopped in, there was a loud crackle and sparks started to fly everywhere. He grabbed her round the waist and pulled her off her stool and onto the floor and  
under the desk with his arm over her bent head whilst the potion crackled and spat all over. All the other students had ducked for cover and as the sparks subsided a black ooze covered the table.

All the students were laughing and began their uproar once again when they realised that it hadn't even attracted the attention of their professor who had only left momentarily. They were all pairing up in groups and talking around the classroom.

Amalthea looked up cautiously at Snape who looked very unimpressed as he slid back and let go of her, he brushed his black hair off his face and sighed. "You nearly melted us." He said flatly getting to his feet, Amalthea followed feeling very stupid  
indeed.

Snapes eyes darted around the classroom to see if anyone was still interested in the explosion and his actions but seeing no one turned back. "You need to pay more attention to what your adding." He said slowly, a hint of annoyance in his voice and  
picking up the smashed phial on the desk. "Any more of this and we would all have been down in the hospital wing." He put the phial down and crossed his arms perching himself on the edge of the stool.

Amalthea looked away sulkily and sat down on a stool herself looking down at the floor. She huffed and said, "Look I know you're not happy to be put with me but we're stuck like this and we're going to have to just get on with it. I personally want  
to win, and I'm sure you do as well, so until we finish may I suggest we at least try to communicate with each other?" she looked up half-expecting him to laugh.

Snape looked as if he were going to smirk, but his face remained expressionless. "Though I remain unchanged in my view on the company you kept in the past Erised, I've not had any reason to dislike you recently. You've kept to yourself and don't 'hang  
around' with Potter and that lot much anymore I've noticed, you're no threat to me I guess." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "I suppose we can make this work."

Amalthea couldn't believe her ears. Was he actually being nice? "So does this mean we're going to be civilized to each other from now on?" she asked. "Bygones be bygones."

"If you wish. I suppose we have to grow up and move on sometime." Snape said with a distant look at the doors as the students were leaving, watching as a red haired girl and bespectacled boy stood in the hall kissing before they parted for lessons."  
Though becoming enemies at this moment would prove rather interesting." He said looking slyly at her as he produced his wand as their professor re-entered the room. "Reparo." He uttered and the phials became intact once more and the mess vanished.  
"If you would like to try and discuss the subject for our study, I will be in the library after dinner." He stood up and packed his things away and began to walk past her; looking back once more he said, "Might be able to give you a few pointers  
with your potions too." And with that he walked off leaving her on her own.

Amalthea turned back to pack her things away, her mind utterly confused. Had she just dreamed all that or had he been nice to her. She looked down at the desk and saw two phials with bright clear liquid in them. One phial had been labelled 'S Snape'  
and the other to her surprise had been labelled 'A Erised'. He had completed the potion for both of them.

By dinner Amalthea was starving; the previous night she had not been in the mood to eat, this morning at breakfast she had been too nervous and at lunch she had forgotten to eat with her mind being so occupied on trying to get a word out of Snape  
and having succeeded in the strangest of ways. She looked around the table at all the various foods but waited until Lily had found her and seated herself.

"So?" Lily said sipping at her drink, her eyes fixed on Amalthea.

"What?" Amalthea said after a little while of trying to avoid her gaze.

"Well?" Lily persisted.

"Well what?" Amalthea said boredly taking big mouthfuls of salad.

"Oh come on, you know what!" Lily said a little irritated.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're going on about." Amalthea huffed putting down her knife and fork and raising her eyebrows at Lily, who sat back and stretched.

"Did he say anything?" Lily said rolling her eyes and giving up. Amalthea remembered the brief words they had exchanged. She remembered him pulling her under the desk with him and then practically asking her to meet him in the library for a private  
rendezvous. Wouldn't Lily like to have heard all about that.

"Actually no, we just got on with our work." And Amalthea returned to her dinner.

"Fair enough." Lily said looking slyly away. "Guess nothing happened then." Amalthea could tell something was going on. Lily was always up on gossip and there must have been at least a few interested people watching her and Snape in their lessons  
together.

"What? What have you heard now?" Amalthea sighed. Lily seemed to come back to life all at once.

"I knew something had happened!" she said, a huge grin on her face. "Come on, all I've got to go off is what some of the Gryffindors have said. Like you two blew up the potions class just so you could... well... you know..." she paused and then whispered,  
"Go under the desk..."

"Don't be stupid!" Amalthea said affronted, making several people turn around and stare. "I mean, I didn't do it intentionally, I wasn't concentrating and I added the wrong ingredient, Snape stopped me from getting burnt." She explained hastily but  
Lily was looking a little confused.

"Don't you think that's a bit weird?" Lily said.

"What?" Amalthea said returning her look of puzzlement, Lily was giving her a strained expression and Amalthea's mind clicked, "What, are you jealous now or something?" Amalthea said referring to Snape's past unhealthy obsession with Lily.

"No." Said Lily shortly looking embarrassed and said at the same time, "I didn't mean that, you know we're not friends anymore, not since well, we're just not." Lily looked over at James and sighed, "What I meant was you would have though that Snape  
would have revelled in the fact that you would have been burnt, after all you did used to get him into trouble along with James, Sirius and Remus." Lily said.

Amalthea thought it was a fair enough question, but didn't think that Lily ought to know any more than she had given away already and looked down at her plate. Without even realising she had finished. No longer hungry she pushed aside her plate and  
leaned on the wooden table. "Perhaps it was just a ruse." Amalthea said with scepticism, "Leading me into a false sense of security ready for the big blow!"

"You and you're conspiracies." Lily tutted,  
"That's a point actually. Where are the boys?" Lily said changing the subject and looking around but the boys were no where to be seen. "I've been dying to hear what James has to say about Malfoy!"

"Probably getting into trouble somewhere." Amalthea suggested with a hint of bitterness, trouble somewhere without her anymore.

"Gotten more like." Said a voice approaching them. It was Remus and he looked rather cheerful.

"Evening." He said politely, "Can I sit here?" he said gesturing to the bench. Amalthea nodded and he seated himself putting his bag on the seat next to him.

"What have they done now?" Lily asked pulling out her timetable from her pocket and inspecting it carefully.

"More like what haven't they done?" Amalthea added before Remus spoke.

"Well, they kind of had a bit of a fight." Remus said slowly. "They started arguing about whose project they were going to do and of course it blew out of proportion, just an excuse for a fight really. They're both in detention. James wasn't bothered  
but it meant Lucius had to miss Quidditch."

"Ha." Lily laughed nastily. "Serves him right... well... suppose it served them both right. I hate it when they fight, they're so immature. Wish James would grow up a bit. Evening plans ruined again." She rubbed her eyes.

"Any way I can't stay anyways, just remembered that Cassandra and I are going to discuss our project. We're meeting in the library." Remus smiled. Amalthea's mind suddenly clicked; she was supposed to be seeing Snape in the library too, but she wondered  
if she really wanted to go, and what would she tell Lily?

"What are you doing now?" she asked Lily.

"Got some work to do, going to go up and do it in the common room, then I'm off to sleep. Im not waiting about for James another night. Probably see you tomorrow at breakfast." Lily answered holding back a yawn. "Better get it done or I won't do it  
at all." Amalthea felt a little relieved that she didn't have to lie to Lily; she didn't like telling her friend's fibs.

She waved to Lily as she walked off and then turned to Remus who had gotten to his feet and was looking at her quizzically. "Can I walk to the library with you?" she asked.

"Sure. Everything alright." Remus asked in return.

"I'm fine, just got some work to do myself." She answered as they began walking. "Why do you ask anyway?" Amalthea was sure she had guilt written all over her face.

"You look like you've got something on your mind." Remus' large brown eyes settled on her and he looked out from under his brown floppy fringe with a slight smile. Amalthea had never been any good at hiding anything from Remus, he was very intelligent  
and could read people's feelings extremely well, so when she looked back up at him her eyes instantly gave her away.

"Are you meeting Snape in there?" he came out with suddenly. Amalthea felt a little odd when she realised that she was in fact going to meet with Snape, a bit of a strange prospect really.

"Yeah, I'm not sure why though; he said he wanted to discuss what we're doing for our project." Amalthea trailed off.

"You don't feel comfortable around him do you." Remus enquired. "I wouldn't."

"Yes and no, it's nothing to do with that... I can hold my own against Snivellus." She said called Snape by his Marauder nickname.

"You don't have to tell me, I remember the time you hexed him in the third year." Remus started laughing and Amalthea giggled a bit too. "So what's the problem."

"I don't know...well... I do know really, I just feel very... sort of inferior recently, I shouldn't though, I mean, I suppose we're pretty much the same grade wise, aren't we. He just seems to have excelled and I've gotten into a slump." Amalthea  
stuttered, fiddling with words.

Remus nodded. "Though he does excel everyone in Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, we all know what. There's no reason to feel less around him, in fact if he knows you're the slightest bit intimidated I have no doubt at all that he'll play  
on it. Plus your slump is understandable...what with your dad..." Remus paused thinking he might have stepped on raw territory but she didn't say anything, "Perhaps he knows you're going through a lot, maybe he has a heart in that grotesque body  
somewhere." He said trying to make her laugh and it worked a little.

"I know, maybe it's that. Doesn't stop me feeling so strange around him." Amalthea shuddered as they pulled open the library door and crept in silently, as not to disturb anyone else, when in fact there wasn't really anyone else there.

"I'll see you later; Cassandra's waiting for me over by the window. Don't let him get to you ok?" Remus whispered and then disappeared to where a girl with golden hair was waiting at a desk with an extra empty chair.

Amalthea stood for a moment looking around to see if he was anywhere in view, but then decided to search, after all Snape wasn't the sort of person who was going to be sat in clear view of everyone, he's probably be skulking round a dark part of the  
library or the restricted section with his 'special' privileges. As Amalthea searched deep into the library she thought that maybe he hadn't turned up and it had been a big joke with him and the Slytherins watching from afar laughing at her, stupid  
Amalthea and her naivety.

Amalthea huffed and threw her bag onto the table, then she seated herself in one of the high backed chairs and slumped down into and trying to disappear completely. Feeling quite stupid that she had been tricked she leant forward and leaned on her  
arms, she was quite tired and at last, alone. She could make everything disappear around her and just be left alone with her thoughts.

SLAM!

Amalthea sat bolt upright in her seat, her eyes wide in surprise. She was even more surprised to come face to face with a mountain of books which, over the top of, she could see Snape looking down at her blankly from behind his thick black hair. His  
eyes wavered over her for a few moments then turning slightly aside he spoke.

"You came then." He said sitting down opposite her and leaning back in his chair.

"So did you." Amalthea replied, her surprised look had faded and she felt slightly cheated, she was looking forward to his absence.

"I see." Snape said quietly to himself, his eyes leaving hers.

"What are all the books for?" Amalthea said, determined to get the awkward silences out of the way.

"They're for you." He said slowly.

"Why would I need so many books on..." she picked up one off the top and read it's title, "Simple Potions for beginners..." she trailed off feeling quite annoyed.

"Well." He said quickly. "If you are so bent on winning, as I am, then I suggest we get on with something I've been working on anyway for a while. If you study enough, you might even be up to scratch enough to actually help. You have been slacking  
this past year I've noted." Amalthea gritted her teeth together, how could he speak to her like that? She wanted to stand up and slap him around the face, but it wasn't a good idea, she wasn't sure what he was capable of. Instead she gave him  
a dark look and rolled her eyes when he was sure he wasn't looking.

"Is there a problem?" he asked pushing the mountain of books aside.

"I haven't been 'slacking off', I've been grieving if you hadn't noticed?" Amalthea said giving him a deathly stare to which he looked down slightly, was that remorse? No Snape wouldn't give her an apology. "And why do we have to automatically decide  
that your project is far superior?" she said irritably. Snape leaned forward staring right at her with his emerald eyes. "What if I've got a brilliant idea."

"Because, Erised, my project IS far superior to anything you could think up." Snape smirked, "Plus you're lying, you don't have anything in mind at all, you can barely think straight these days and it's understandable but doesn't look very good on  
the house of Ravenclaw if we fail with a mish mash plan of yours."

"Oh you..." she said getting to her feet ready to strike him. Snape's face changed instantly, he smiled at her as if he were delighted that he had managed to anger her.

"I wondered how long it would take before you showed me what you really thought of me." He said leaning back in his chair again. "So do you have anything else to say to me?"

"Yes." Amalthea hissed. "Actually I have." And she leaned forwards on the table, this time looming over him. "I think you're... you're..." but she didn't really know what she thought of him, she hadn't had time to decide. He kept appearing different  
every time she saw him. At first he had said nothing, then he had been amiable, then he had been slightly arrogant, and then he'd saved her in Potions. How was she supposed to know what he was really like?

"Confusing and irritating. Self absorbed and sneaky. I've never liked you and this is all horribly inconvenient." Amalthea said sitting down heavily and fiddling with the pile of books straightening them holding back tears. This was nothing to do  
with Snape, she was just taking her anger about her father out on him, grief was a funny thing.

Snape's smile had disappeared but his eyes remained fixed on hers as he watched her give up and sat back in her chair unsure of what to do now. "Well let's get started then." He said finally after he'd watched her for a few moments, he could see she  
was struggling and he'd liked her father a great deal.

"Excuse me?" Amalthea said unbelievingly. "The project. I've been meaning to find someone to test this on." He said producing a phial with some silvery liquid in it, he handed it to her and she looked at it in confusion dabbing a rogue tear from her  
eye before he noticed.

"What is it?" she questioned him.

"The person who drinks this potion will, presumably, learn things beyond any normal standard. It's a studying potion." He said looking smug but Amalthea wrinkled her nose and raised her eyebrow.

"That sounds really boring." She said placing the phial down in disgust.

"Actually it's quite ingenious, but I wouldn't expect you to appreciate something as wonderful as this. You're not a atypical Ravenclaw." He jibed again snatching it off the table. "If you drink this and then go on to study something of your  
choice you will be so enthralled with it that your concentration will not stray, in a way you will not wish to stop studying and will therefore learn more than the normal student." Amalthea thought it sounded a little more interesting now that  
he had explained, in fact she actually wanted to test some of this miracle potion, it would possibly help her attain the grades she had been desiring for a while since they had started to fall.

"Well are you going to let me test it?" she asked. Snape shrugged and handed it back to her, not looking too fussed at all.

"Go ahead; drink the lot if you wish, though a small drop should do the trick." Amalthea considered what she was doing for a minute and then deciding that Snape was not going to try and harm her; she pulled out the stopper and drank a small amount.  
She felt slightly warm for a second and then her concentration strayed to the books. Giving Snape a fleeting look she began to read the first one off the pile.

It felt great to be enjoying something so interesting for once, she was absolutely elated with every single word and felt amazing. Then all of a sudden she felt all the blood drain from her face and she looked over to Snape. Just before she felt herself  
slip into unconsciousness she managed to say, "You've poisoned me."

When she awoke, she found that instead of lying in the infirmary she was still in the library and Snape was stood looking down at her, still wearing a blank expression. "Interesting." He said quietly and sat down deep in thought. Amalthea got up wearily  
and then slumped into a chair rubbing the back of her head, she glared across at Snape who was clearly unaware she was looking at him and remained pensive and still. Eventually he had to look at her; he placed his palms together and then closed  
his eyes, still facing her direction.

Amalthea didn't say anything, though she wanted to ask a thousand things, and remained in silence, not giving him the satisfaction of her frustration with him.

"Well, at least it's a change from vomiting." Snape said opening his eyes and leaning forward. "Do you feel ill at all?" he asked, but in a voice that sounded like he didn't care either way. "Any nausea?"

"No." Amalthea said sharply.

"Right." Snape answered slowly pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill from what seemed like nowhere. His scrawled something on it and then jammed it back from where it had appeared. He sat back and diverted his eyes to where he heard voices  
approaching.

Leisurely he rose from his chair and said, "I have to go and improve the formula. As you can tell there are still side-effects which I must nullify before we may hand it in. I suggest you take some of these and read as much as you can. You're a clever  
girl; you're bound to learn something."

"Wait." Amalthea said hurriedly before he had time to walk away. Snape turned back in mild interest, Amalthea wasn't sure why she had asked him to wait. "...so that's it?" she said after a little while.

"Unfortunately." He said coolly. Amalthea looked puzzled at his choice of words, but before she could say anything he spoke. "I will see you tomorrow morning. It's Charms first lesson. Good evening." Then he strode away leaving her sat alone.


	3. Chapter 3

You Learn Something New Every Day

The next morning after breakfast, Amalthea was eager to get to Charms as it was one of her favourite lessons. As she was walking up the hall, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she turned around to see Sirius beaming at her.

"Hey." He smiled. "Haven't seen you much lately."

"You saw me yesterday." Amalthea said cocking her head to the side smiling and slightly blushing. As she carried on walking he remained at her side and offered to carry her books, on Potions, for her. She handed the heavy load over obligingly and  
at first he struggled under the weight but then adjusted and caught up to her.

"God, what's all this lot for? Thought you didn't study!" he exclaimed nearly dropping them and giving her a quizzical look.

"Well, I need to do some catching up for the project." Amalthea said cautiously, casting a look at Sirius out of the corner of his eye, but he hadn't caught on.

"Thought of yours already." He replied. "Haven't even seen Peter yet to figure ours out." He said, "Wonder where he is."

"It's not really my idea." Amalthea said quietly, hoping he wouldn't hear but he had and Sirius' face turned dark as he remembered who she had been partnered with.

"Has he been nasty to you yet, because I'd love an excuse to punch his lights out. Snivellus, master of creep." Sirius snarled clenching his teeth and making a sound which sounded to Amalthea like his animagus growl.

"No, he hasn't said much to me." She replied, it was the easiest way to shut him up. "I think it's going to be that way."

"I still don't like it but I guess it's the best we're gonna get." Sirius said, Amalthea noticed he was always referring to them both as 'we' a lot recently, it was weird but flattering, most of the girls in the school would have died to have Sirius  
as their boyfriend, she just didn't see him that way. "But that's good, you don't want to start fraternising with the enemy anyway." He continued smiling.

Amalthea thought about this for a moment; was Snape really an enemy? Yes he was rude, arrogant and sometimes a little blunt but so was Sirius sometimes, were they really that much different. Enemy was a bit of string word. Arriving at Charms cleared  
her head of all thoughts and she turned to Sirius to say goodbye before she went in.

"Listen, you don't need to carry these around with you all day, I've got a free period so I'll drop your books off somewhere safe and you can come and get them from me later!" And with that he winked and walked away hastily so that she could not catch  
up with him and protest.

Amalthea shook her head smiling; Sirius was so sweet, always making excuses to see her and be with her, but he'd never once asked her out since their fourth year and she had never thought of what she would have said if he ever did, though it would  
be no in some form or another. She liked Sirius, but was he wasn't exactly boyfriend material? He was always getting into trouble, and did she really need someone like that? She imagined she would always be worried about where he was and what  
he was doing, sat pensively waiting for him to return from another wild mission with the rest of the Marauders.

Amalthea leaned against the wall and watched all the other students from her class arriving, they gathered in small groups and bickered amongst each other. Lucius appeared around the corner with James, both looking very miserable and not saying a  
word to each other. On seeing Amalthea, James' face brightened and he hurriedly ran over to her side.

"Hi!" he said enthusiastically, his eyes glinting behind his round spectacles. "Oh it's good to see a friendly face for once." He said nodding his head towards Lucius with a grim expression. "It's been a nightmare!" James went into a long winded speech  
about how much trouble there had been on their first day, but Amalthea wasn't listening.

Snape had turned up and seemed to be listening to exactly the same speech off Lucius on the other side of the hall, he looked up at her breaking his gaze from Lucius and they looked at each other for a few moments before looking away.

"-and now we're in detention every night this week. So, how are you getting on with Snivellus?" James asked interestedly giving Snape a narrow eyed gaze.

"Oh not as bad as you'd think." She said holding back a wry smile. "Ravenclaw and Slytherin don't usually have problems..."

"Well that's true, though you did used to lay ink him with us quite a bit, ah the good old days." James smiled reminiscing, "But I'm being Sirius with you now," James pushed waiting for her to react to his pun but she didn't rise this time, she'd  
heard it a million times before. "Padfoot wasn't too pleased about it though." James replied grinning.

"Why?" Amalthea asked paying attention suddenly. "It's not like I'm gonna run off with him."

"Oh no not that, hah what a thought!" He snorted, "Sirius tried to jinx his parchment so that he could be with you, looks like it didn't work though, can't say I'm not surprised, he's rubbish at jinx's... well... come to think of it he's rubbish at  
everything, I'll be surprised if he gets any NEWT's at all." James began to follow the rest of the class in. "Well better go and pair up with that." He said pointing at Lucius. Amalthea waved James off and then found herself looking around for  
Snape but he had disappeared from Lucius' side and probably gone into the class already.

On entering she looked towards the back of the class and saw him sat on the very back desk, his face hidden behind a book. She made her way past all the other students and when she reached him she paused for a moment wondering if he'd say anything  
then sat down. After a few moments she heard his feint voice from behind the book.

"Manage to read anything I gave you?" Amalthea would have preferred a simple hello but realising she would never get one of those decided to just go along with him.

"I had a quick look, but I was too tired to do lots of reading." She replied and he put his book down almost slamming it. He gave her a half-surprised half-disgusted look and looked away.

"I was expecting as much." He said gruffly.

"We've got plenty of time before it's got to be handed in you know." She said impassively. "You've already done most of the work. I don't know why you'd need me messing it up."

Snape looked over expressionlessly. "Yes indeed I have done the majority of the work but I need help, Erised. Why do you think the formula keeps going wrong." He closed the book on the desk seeing their professor enter the room and pulled out his  
long black wand.

Throughout the first half of the lesson all they could do was sit and listen to instructions from their professor before doing any kind of charm work. Amalthea sat listening intently whilst next to her Snape kept sighing and shifting from leaning  
on one hand to the other. Several times he spoke under his breath mocking the teacher. Amalthea didn't find it very helpful at all and at one point turned in disgust and shot Snape an evil look.

"I'm trying to listen to what he's saying." Amalthea whispered.

"This stuff is useless in the real world." Snape hissed back at her impatiently.

"How do you know?" Amalthea replied angrily.

"Cause it's just not practical." Everyone in the class had picked up their wands and were making what looked like silver bubbles levitate into the air.

"Wingardium leviosa." Amalthea said swishing her wand above her own silver bubble. It flew into the air almost immediately and hovered a few feet above her head. Snape picked up his wand, muttered something and flicked his wand and his own silver  
bubble sped swiftly into the air banging into Amalthea's. As they banged and knocked into each other repetitively, Amalthea began to get angry and stared at Snape who looked rather please with himself.

"What are you doing?" Amalthea said through gritted teeth.

"Making the class more interesting." Snape said flicking his wand once more, the bubble bumping more violently into her own.

"Well stop it, you're making a scene." Amalthea said looking around. All of the class were now ignoring their professor their gazes drawn in turn to the duelling bubbles and the two students shooting each other dark looks, it was rare for a Slytherin  
and Ravenclaw to knock heads but they'd seen it before with these two and Amalthea had always come out on top. Lucius and James weren't paying attention and instead were having an argument a couple of desks ahead, both covered in what looked like  
silver and gold dust.

Amalthea saw Snape making tiny circles with his wand and when she looked up to her bubble it was shaking violently. She made a similar motion with her own wand and Snape's continued to do the same; then, almost at the same time they flicked their  
wands violently and the bubbles burst, silver and gold glittery dusk falling down around them.

Amalthea's anger lifted as she watched the beautiful specks falling all around her, onto her robes, resting lightly in her long black hair and she found it hard to hold back a smile, it was so pretty. She looked across at Snape who was sat there with  
a very bemused look on his face, arms folded covered all over. Amalthea laughed behind her hand watching him, she had never really looked at him properly before.

He was very pale, unusually so, and thin, like he hadn't eaten well since birth; his shoulder-length black hair framing his face, but unlike what the rest of the school believed, his hair was not greasy enough to fry muggle chips as they had said  
but still, it remained lank. His eyes, darkest emerald almost black, looked hollow and empty as they remained staring blankly into space; Amalthea wondered if there was any feeling inside him at all, of course ther was, he'd inadvertently smitten  
to loving Lily, Amalthea bit her lip and looked away, down at her desk.

She shook her wavy hair and all the dusk flew back into the air and dispersed. Maybe they were old enough and it was time enough to put aside their childish feelings about being enemies and actually try this time, they would be gone by the middle  
of the following year and they would never see each other again, what harm could it do their reputations now?

"So why does the formula keep going wrong?" she asked politely. Snape looked up, not saying a word. He only held her gaze for a moment and then uncrossed his arms and started wiping the dust off his robes. "I want to help. I want us to win if it's  
the last thing we do here."

"There have been side-effects every time I change the formula." Snape said noting her interesting choice of 'we'.

"I don't think you believe I want to help you." She said honestly.

"I want you to help." He replied quietly, almost not wanting her to hear him. Amalthea smiled at him and she was sure something in his eyes brightened. He moved uneasily, an unsure look crossing his face and then disappearing. For the rest of the  
lesson they said nothing to each other and when they left to go to dinner they exchanged mutual looks of apologies and parted.

Amalthea spent most of her dinner with Lily who continued to try and talk to her about Snape, but in the end gave up believing that there was nothing to tell. Amalthea had no idea why she was so interested now that her and Snape were no longer friends,  
she was about to start questioning her when James, Remus and Sirius turned up.

"Afternoon." Remus said cheerily. "Had a good day?"

"Not bad." Lily said opening her homework planner and showing him the amount of work she had been set. "Just got a little bit to do." She joked.

"Well at least you'll get it done, unlike those two." Remus gestured to where James and Sirius were enchanting peas to fly across the dining hall and hit the Lucius and the Slytherins.

"Give over!" Lily exclaimed prodding James hard in the ribs.

"Alright, alright. Come on Sirius mate, give it a rest now." James said rubbing his side.

"It was your idea." Sirius retorted sitting beside Amalthea.

"Just remembered, it's Hogsmeade next weekend." Remus said. "Me and Cassandra are going to do some research up there for our project."

"You two getting on?" Amalthea smiled.

"Yeah." Remus said turning bright pink. "Really well actually, how about that."

"Why don't you ask her out then?" Lily said eagerly.

"I might." Remus said bravely. James and Sirius however were pulling faces and laughing at him. "Then again who wants to date a werewolf, think I'll give it a miss."

"Wish I could find someone nice, but this school is full of morons." Amalthea said not looking at Sirius deliberately, but she noticed he had fallen silent.

"I agree." Lily joined in and James too, fell quiet.

"Anyway, I'm off. See you at dinner." Amalthea said standing up and grabbing her bag.

"It's a bit early isn't it?" Sirius protested.

"I've got a free period, I'm going to go and study outside whilst it's still nice." Amalthea waved and headed for the exit. Sirius leaned on the table nearly landing in his soup.

"She never wants to hang around with us anymore." He said moodily. Remus looked a little sheepish, and Sirius noticed. "What?" he asked intrigued.

"Ask James." He coughed. James too looked sheepish.

He grinned and said, "Well I kind of let it slip that you tried to jinx the parchment." Sirius face turned pale. "Look why don't you just ask her out, then you'll get a straight answer!" he exclaimed as Sirius stood up.

"What did you have to say that for?" Sirius groaned putting his head in his hands.

Amalthea could still hear the group bickering as she went through the doors. She hoped that they hadn't got the wrong impression. She loved them all very much, but she was different these days, she preferred to be alone, all she wanted to do was go  
and sit in the shade under a tree in the courtyard and get on with some work, though she knew she probably wouldn't be left alone if Sirius had other ideas.

She had only been seated a moment when she looked across the courtyard and saw Snape sat on his own immersed in what looked like work. She watched him for a while; students from different houses kept walking past and shouting things at him, obviously  
mocking him, some of them would throw things and others would merely laugh with their friends. Even students from his own house Slytherin were doing the same.

Amalthea felt saddened, she had always assumed that Snape was surrounded by Lucius all the time, that he was somewhat popular in his own house, but she was wrong, everyone treated him with the same amount of contempt. He did not react to the obscenities  
being thrown at him and merely immersed himself more in his work, trying to shut out the world around him

Amalthea hung her head slightly, she had always taken being liked for granted and now hated herself for the distance she had been putting between her and the others. Looking back up Snape looked as miserable as ever, so she decided to go and talk  
to him. She didn't have to do this, they were only working together, but something hard stuck in her throat, a sadness she couldn't rid herself of. She got to her feet and walked around the courtyard approaching him from the side.

She reached out her hand and touched him gently on his shoulder. "Hey."

Snape jolted under her touch and reached for the wand in his robes. "What do you-" he started to say but then he saw it was Amalthea and his worried look melted and he eased a little. "Sorry, I thought you were..." he trailed off his face darkening.

Amalthea was a little shocked. "I wasn't going to do anything." She said. There was an awkward silence between them. "Can I join you?" she asked finally.

"Why?" Snape said nastily, he didn't like being caught off guard like this, he'd had the advantage in their meetings so far but out in the open he felt skittish and cautious someone would see them.

"Well, I was sat over there and I saw you on your own. I just thought that we could talk or something, maybe discuss the project." She answered remaining calm.

Snape looked suspicious. "Sirius and James put you up to this Erised?"

"No, of course not." Amalthea said feeling hurt. "I thought we were being civil now...Is it that much of a surprise that I actually want to talk to you?"

"Yes, actually." He replied. Amalthea couldn't believe it, yet again he'd become a totally different person. She couldn't put her finger on why he kept changing every time she saw him and it was starting to become a little confusing.

"Do you want me to go away?" Amalthea asked haughtily.

"Not really." He replied looking up at her casually.

"Well you want me to stay?" Amalthea said.

"No..." he said flatly.

"Well what by Merlin's beard do you want?" Amalthea exclaimed.

"Well what I don't want is another excuse for them to start taunting me again." He growled staring her straight in the eyes. Suddenly it dawned on her; everyone had started teasing him again because he had been paired up with Amalthea. One of the  
prettiest, yet moodiest, girls in Hogwarts now always at the side of one of the most unpopular students.

"Shall we go somewhere else." She propositioned. Snape face lost its worried look and he stood up towering above her.

"Why are you trying so hard to be nice to me now?" He asked darkly.

"You want the truth?" she said shortly looking up at him stood .

"It might be an idea if I'm going to start trusting you..." He said looking down at the fierce girl in front of him with her hands on her hips and a determined look.

"Well, it's because I pity you, alright. You sit alone all the time, hardly make an effort to talk to anyone except that dismal excuse of a friend, Lucius and no wonder everyone's nasty when you're always undermining them!" she said frustratedly.

Snape's expression did not change. "So? I like it that way."

"No you don't, no one does." Amalthea sighed and hung her head again. "Snape please, I just want to be your friend now, I've done so many awful things to you in the past and I'm truly sorry. Is it that hard to be friends now?"

"It would be for you." Snape said. "You see, unlike me, who's had to put up with being ridiculed every year I've been here, you have not. Trust me, you wouldn't like to have horrible labels linked to me following you everywhere you go for the next  
year." He got to his feet standing about two feet away from her and looked down at her as she stood with her hands on her hips, a sly look on her face.

"I honestly don't care what anyone thinks anymore, it's going to be over soon. What's to loose." She said slowly.

Snape laughed to himself a little. "This is going to be fun." He said in a mocking tone, clearly he didn't think that at all. "Snape and Erised, best buds. I had hopes of this year going by as quickly as possible."

"Don't start." Amalthea said stopping Snape before he could get any more callous, "It's our last year, lets see how long it takes for rumours to start." Amalthea said as they set off towards the Hogwarts grounds.

It did not take long for rumours to start at all, after their next two lessons, students were buzzing around all over the place whispering their names, though the rumours were not what they had expected. Instead of the usual, 'Snape loves Erised'  
chant they thought they would receive they actually heard students whispering that they had come up with something really dark and mysterious for their project, which instilled fear in anyone who saw either of them for the rest of the week, it  
was bizarre but both of them were getting a kick out of it.

With Snape's obsession with the Dark Arts and Amalthea somewhat shrouded past they made a very mysterious and unusual pair which they didn't seem to mind at all. They were both on very civil speaking terms by now and both tried hard not to become  
frustrated and angry with the other, both thinking that if they worked hard enough they would finish the project ahead of schedule and have time to revise for their NEWT's.

One Saturday down in the great hall Amalthea was sat having her dinner when she felt someone behind her. Quickly they placed their hands on her eyes and said, "Guess who!"

Amalthea knew who it was immediately, if she hadn't know any better. "Hmm. Could it be a troll?" she said in a bored tone. "Yes, definitely a troll, a Siriusly smelly one at that."

"Damn." He said removing his hands and perching on the side of the table. "How'd you know it's me?"

"Come on Sirius, don't be so naive." Amalthea sighed, "It's always you. I know your hands, sound of your voice and your smell anywhere." She said taking hold of her goblet and draining the last few drops.

Sirius was trying to stay cool at her words but he could feel his face burning up, be just wanted to lean in and wrap his arms around her but he couldn't. "Didn't see you again today." Sirius said in a wavering tone.

"She's been studying again." Said a voice on the opposite side of the table. Sirius twisted in his seat and saw Lily grinning up at him.

"Didn't see you there Evans." He smiled, but then realising what she had said his face turned gloomy and he pouted eyeing Amalthea carefully.

"You study too much these days." He said and shot the Slytherin table an evil look. "We never spend any time together anymore."

"It's not like I enjoy it." Said Amalthea staring at Lily, hoping she wouldn't say anymore. "And Sirius, people grow up, I can't run around playing stupid pranks forever." Amalthea gave him a smile but he just carried on pouting in his usual manner  
when he didn't get what he wanted.

"So why do you go all the time now, you've never done so much work even for a Ravenclaw." Lily said, a shifty look passing over her face.

Amalthea thought for a while, why was she always running off to study? Snape was perfectly capable of working on his own but she felt like she had to be there, at least out of a sense of duty, it was her project too. "Because I want to win." It was  
a blatant lie on her part but she wasn't ready to admit why she was really studying so much.

"I wouldn't get too attached to Snivellus, it'll bring your reputation down." Sirius said stopping her train of thought.

"Don't be so nasty." Lily said slapping him on the arm.

"If you hadn't noticed Sirius, I don't really have a reputation." Amalthea said looking up at him. He was very good looking and Amalthea wondered why she had never liked him, maybe it was because he was so arrogant, but at the same time he always  
made her smile when he looked at her like that.

"Only that you're one of the most beautiful girl's in Hogwarts." Sirius smiled brushing her cheek with his hand. Amalthea blushed violently and tried to hide her face by pretending she was looking around for another drink. "What's wrong?" he grinned  
sitting next to her but she stood up.

"I... I've got to go...I've completely forgotten about something important!..." she stuttered grabbing her bag and making a quick exit.

Lily ushered Sirius out of his seat. "Follow her!" she ordered him.

"Okay... Amalthea, wait, I'm coming with you!" he shouted after her. Sirius found Amalthea sat looking out onto the fountain on one of the stone walls, still bright red and looking a little edgy. She saw him coming and looked away quickly. She had  
no idea why she was feeling so flustered, then she knew, no one had ever said something like that to her before and she'd quite liked the way Sirius had made her feel.

"Are you alright?" he half laughed leaning against the wall casually. She nodded violently and continued to look at the fountain. Sirius laughed again and nudged up next to her. "Amalthea... I've been meaning to well ask you something... actually  
it's more like tell you something... just erm... well... it's been on my mind, it's pretty important and I know I should have told you earlier..." Sirius continued to mumble and as Amalthea looked round she caught hold of someone leaning in the  
doorway watching them.

It was Severus, and he looked particularly livid. Sirius was quite close to Amalthea now and when she turned around, his face was inches from her and he was cornering her against the wall. His eyes held her and he said breathlessly leaning in, "I  
was wondering if you would do me the honour of- ARGH!" he exclaimed leaping into the air, his gown alight at the bottom with flames.

"PUT ME OUT! PUT ME OUT!" he exclaimed trying to free himself of his robes.

"Aquaticius!" someone exclaimed and suddenly water came out of thin air above him and drenched him. Sirius stood dripping looking around him anxiously.

"Who did it? Who was it?" he said but he could see no one.

"I don't know! I couldn't see." She said firmly, but she knew who it had been. Holding back laughter she said, "Go and get yourself dried out." And patted him on the shoulder getting to her feet.

"If I ever find out who that was, you'll pay!" he shouted before storming off feeling very embarrassed and slightly angry that one of his best chances had been foiled along with some important news he'd been meaning to tell her.

Amalthea walked over to doorway and looked around the corner. Snape was stood there, wand still in hand and a wry smile on his face, his green eyes piercing the darkness. He stepped towards her and then past her still holding her astonished gaze.

"I don't know what to say." She laughed nervously.

"Maybe thank you." He suggested. "If I'd left it any sooner, he would have been down your throat by now." Amalthea eyed him carefully, he looked almost relieved.

"Why were you watching me?" she asked.

For the fist time he struggled with his words, "I wasn't. I just came out to... I saw him come after you and thought that, well I don't know, though he'd do something. Which he did in fact do." He stopped huffing and crossed his arms, "I was doing  
you a favour, some gratitude would be nice."

"Thanks for looking out for me." She said sheepishly smiling away, it was very out of character though setting Sirius on fire was not. "You didn't have to do that...though I know you enjoyed it. I appreciate what you did. Sirius is a little full on  
these days."

"Indeed." Snape said darkly.

Down beside the river they sat reading and jotting notes down on parchment shaded under a beech by the side of the water. Amalthea had kicked off her shoes at one point and gone wading in the water whilst Snape had looked on watching her. It was still  
very sunny in the late afternoon, which was strange for the end of November.

Amalthea had given up on work and had started to try and find out more about Snape. "So you're family is pure-blood?" she asked.

"Half blood." Snape said without looking up from his book. "Though why they let us or muggle born in I have no idea."

"That's a bit discriminating isn't it?" she said rolling onto her side and leaning on her hand next to him. "Don't you think everyone's got a right to use magic if they are born with the ability?" Snape looked up haughtily and didn't say anything  
but shot her a look that clearly meant he didn't really agree but Amalthea didn't push him further, it was obviously a touchy subject.

Amalthea sat up and edged closer to him without realising, but as she did he shifted uneasily, both his eyes fixed on her. Amalthea looked up at the sky; it was pure blue above the mountains with streaks of red going across it.

She smiled sighing. "I love it out here, don't you." She said turning to face him. He was still reading, so with a small laugh she jerked it out of his hands and threw it over her shoulder into the grass behind her. "I said don't you?" she repeated  
and he looked slightly irritated.

"Yes, it's quite lovely." He huffed leaning past her to try and grab his book but Amalthea pushed him back playfully.

"No you don't. I want to talk." She demanded. Snape was fuming, all he wanted to do was continue with his work and there was this silly girl in his way messing around.

He held out his hand, "Give me the book." He said emphasizing on each word.

Amalthea crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip. "Just leave it for a while, I'm really bored, I want to talk to for a while. All we do is study! Please."

"Right, whatever." He said slamming his back up against the tree. "Go on then, talk." Amalthea looked stunned for a moment.

"Right... well..." she didn't really know what to say, he'd put her on the spot. "I want to find out stuff about you... how about I ask you something, and then you ask me something?"

"Awfully demanding aren't you Erised." Snape rolled his eyes and then gestured for her to continue.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters." She asked and he shook his head.

"Do you?" he asked in return and she shook hers.

"What's your favourite colour." She said.

"Black. Yours."

"That's not a colour, it's a shade." She replied smartly.

"Who cares, yours?" Amalthea did not hear what he had said, she was now fascinated by how deep and interesting Snape's eye colour was and without meaning too she uttered, "Green." Snape raised an eyebrow and she shook her head releasing his gaze.  
"Sorry," she muttered, "Blue of course, ultramarine to be specific." She sat for a moment thinking of her next question, looking back now and again to Snape.

His hair shone rather than looked greasy under the bright ray of sunlight streaming through the tree and she watched as his deep green eyes looked out onto the lake ahead. He tapped his long pale fingers on his knee and she noticed that his chest  
and physique was slightly broader than she had imagined, he was unusual but not grotesque like Sirius and the boys made out, definitely not what you would call handsome but she didn't find him ugly, his face and expressions were starting to grow  
on her. The way he rolled his eyes when he was bored, the way he smirked smugly when he was right and the way he'd sometimes slip up on the cold exterior he put on and let out a hint of humanity.

Amalthea looked down edging her hand slowly towards the one he had placed on the ground and looked up to make sure he hadn't noticed. He was still looking towards the lake when he felt her closer than before and turned around to see her sat by his  
side about a foot away.

Looking her up and down he opened his mouth slightly almost as if he would say something but he didn't and continued to survey her. Amalthea blushed wondering if she could get away with her next question; then deciding to go for it she spoke.

"Have you ever been kissed?" she asked.

Snape's eyes widened a little and his pallid cheeks almost gained some colour. "What..." he stated saying quietly as she drew a little closer, blinking in the sunlight. "No. Why does that even matter?" he finished and she was sure she saw him start  
to tremble.

"Do you ever want to be kissed." She asked gaining a little more confidence. Snape looked down for a moment and then brought his face back up to meet hers with narrowed eyes.

"Erised really," he smirked, she was joking around obviously, "Ask me something serious."

"I am." Amalthea said as she watched the panic he was trying to laugh off. "Do you?"

"I would... probably... but I don't think anyone would ever." He said trying to pull back, clearly very apprehensive. "Why have you ever been kissed?" he asked.

"Nearly... if it hadn't been for you." She replied smiling.

"Do you...ever want to be kissed." He asked pausing in the middle unsure of what he was saying. Amalthea nodded slightly.

"Severus..." Amalthea said using his name for the first time, "Will you kiss me." She said, but it wasn't a question, she leaned in and placed a hand lightly on his chest and he quivered, his chest taking in a breath sharply. She drew closer and pressed  
her cheek against his as she whispered in his ear. "Please." Drawing back she saw that his cheeks had flushed as bright as hers and his lip trembled uncontrollably.

His eyes darted quickly over each part of her face before she felt his one hand on her side and the other on her cheek as he pulled her close to him forcefully, their lips meeting. Snape pushed her down into the soft grass underneath him. She could  
hardly believe what was happening; she had never imagined that the first person she would ever kiss would be Snape, but at the same time she did not regret it and returned his eager kiss. It was a fumbled awkward desperate first kiss but not a  
bad one at all, in fact it was sweet and innocent, both of them trying to understand a kiss for the first time and she longed for it to continue but slowly he pulled away hovering a few inches above her face.

"Satisfied." He said breathlessly, but she wasn't and longed to do it again. She placed a hand behind his neck and pulled him back down to kiss her again but he pulled away and sat up.

She followed looking forlorn and reached out to touch his hand but he pulled it away before she barely brushed it.

"Stop." He said leaning back against the tree again. He looked angry.

"What's wrong?" she asked sitting on her knees.

"You can't ask me to do that again." He said frustratedly.

"But-"

"No." he cut in, "Once this project is finished we'll never have a reason to talk ever again. We will both leave here at the end of the term and go our separate ways and never see each other again." Snape placed a hand over his eyes and sighed.

"Of course we will... I want to..." Amalthea said feeling very helpless.

"No...this isn't real. You've got the wrong idea in your head, it's not what you think it is, it's just pity or because we've been around each other too much..." Snape said, "You're supposed to be with someone like Sirius."

Amalthea felt hurt, but at the same time she realised that this sudden sensation had come out of nowhere so she wasn't sure of what she was feeling. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was something else; she hadn't stopped to think about it.

"Please, let's just forget this happened." He implored.

"If that's what you want." Amalthea said holding back some tears she could feel welling up. "I'm sorry... I was just being stupid." She continued and a drop dripped onto her clothes, she wiped it away quickly but he had noticed and had said nothing,  
maybe out of fear he would appear to be going back on his words. "We better get back, it's getting dark." She suggested.

"Meet me tomorrow." He said, his eyes meeting hers finally. "I want us to keep meeting." He looked very anxious, probably thinking that she would not want to see him again.

"Of course I will." She replied her chin juddering as she smiled at him. "I'm sorry again." And with that she fled leaving him sat to dwell on his thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

Storm Before The Calm

The run up to Christmas was very hard work for everyone at Hogwarts. The teachers were chasing the students up on their projects, making sure that the theory part was handed in before they left to go home to their families and in turn the students  
were working harder than ever all becoming quick to anger if anyone said anything was said concerning their work.

James and Lucius seemed to have done nothing towards their project and continued to bicker and argue about who was supposed to be doing what; Remus and Cassandra had finished their theory a week previous much to Remus' dismay, as it gave him no further  
reason to talk to her until after the holidays; Lily and Francine had barely finished their long winded theory and were going over the final details; Sirius and Peter had eventually come to an agreement that if Peter did all the theory then Sirius  
would do the practical part but it seemed highly unlikely. Amalthea and Snape however had barely been on speaking terms.

Amalthea had found it hard to talk to Snape after what had happened and made no attempt to discuss the event; in turn Snape had gone back to his normal brooding self and had said barely two words when he had to. Their eyes had no met, and there had  
been no proper conversation for weeks apart from about the project, both trying to convince themselves that nothing had happened.

They would meet occasionally, go over the work and then make their excuses to disappear from each other's sight. Amalthea felt disheartened and longed to go back to being friends though she did not know if Snape felt the same. He had started to prefer  
the company of Lucius and at times she would look over at them longingly only to see Lucius laughing with Snape at whoever had caught their attention that day.

"Who're you going to the Yule ball with then?" Lily asked Amalthea one day outside the Divination classroom.

"I don't know yet... I have an idea who's going to ask me though." She said flatly.

"Oh of course, he's wanted an excuse to grab hold of you all year!" Lily nudged Amalthea in the side.

"Hey!" Amalthea exclaimed, "You know very well I'm not interested in him. He's arrogant, cheeky and very-"

"Speak of the devil." Lily whispered nudging Amalthea suddenly.

"Hope you weren't referring to me!" a voice said approaching Lily and Amalthea, it was of course the voice of the roguish boy with long black hair swept back off his face, Sirius Black, with Remus Lupin and unmistakeably James Potter closely following  
behind him.

"We were actually." Amalthea said under her breath. Lily looked at her in disgust then smiled at James, and James grinned back and then looked down at the floor. Remus leant on the wall next to Amalthea and Sirius remained positioned in front of her.

"Everyone asked someone to the ball yet?" Remus questioned and they all groaned a little, hoping that this wouldn't have been brought up. "It's next week, better get asking."

"Suppose you've asked Cassandra." James said.

"I have actually and she said yes." Remus grinned widely.

"Typical." James snorted glancing across at Lily who smiled brightly at him.

"Decided who you want to go to the ball with yet?" Sirius grinned at Amalthea.

"That would be telling." Amalthea said looking over at Lily pleading her to break her out of the topic of conversation.

"Well be sure to let them know or they'll be snapped up very soon." Sirius winked at Amalthea and she turned away in amused disgust to Lily who was laughing under her hand. "Of course they will wait." He added.

"I'll keep that in mind Sirius." Amalthea said in a sarcastic tone and nodded.

"Not having much luck with the ladies as usual, eh Black?" a voice behind Sirius retorted. They all turned to face their ridiculer, it was Lucius Malfoy and beside him was the familiar form of the tall slim boy, with dark eyes and hair that shadowed  
his face, Snape.

"Keep your nose out Malfoy!" James shouted at Lucius nastily.

"Looks like Black has got Potter to speak for him these days. A shame he can't stand up for himself for once, that would be a change; wouldn't you agree Lucius." Snape said coldly. Lucius looked triumphant and smiled sardonically. Snape also smiled  
and glared at each one of them until his eyes rested on Amalthea's startled face and his glare eased a little.

"You won't ever change will you Sev?" Lily said making him turn with a twinge of hurt spreading across his face, Amalthea watched the two of them as something passed between them and her heart sank, "You really are the worst."

Lily and Severus had been friends once, they'd known each other for years since they were small, it was no big secret that Severus had been in love with Lily and was most likely still harbouring feelings for her. It dawned on Amalthea suddenly, she  
was not the one that he wanted.

As Lucius and his foes threw insults to and fro, Amalthea's eyes met his for a moment and then almost embarrassed they both looked away. This was the first time they had held each other's gaze in weeks, maybe they were both starting to realise that  
they couldn't keep this up forever.

"Of course Amalthea I would be extremely proud if you were to be one my arm. Yours is the oldest pure blood family alongside mine, we'd be an ideal match." Lucius said in a sarcastic tone smiling at Amalthea and walking closer but Sirius stepped in  
front of her. Amalthea looked horrified and glanced over at Snape who looked equally as disgusted when he realised what Lucius had said.

"Do one Malfoy!" Sirius shouted going for Lucius with his wand, but before he could get any further, Remus grabbed him by that collar and held him back. James too had to hold on to Sirius' arm to keep him from starting again.

"Good job you've got you're babysitters to mind you Black, I wouldn't want to catch anything!" Lucius spat.

"One day I'm going to tear you apart!" Sirius struggled.

"Ooh, I'm shaking! Can't wait for you to step out of line! Not that it would take much effort!" Lucius laughed.

"Wouldn't be much of a fair fight with your cronies always by your side to back you up!" James joined in.

"Potter wants a piece of me too? Hmph. More of a worthy opponent, I think I'll leave Black for you to deal with." Malfoy remarked turning to Snape who stood towering behind him, his arms crossed and a sinister smirk on his face. Lucius and Sirius  
continued to argue it out, joined by Remus and James at certain points.

Lily stood beside Amalthea at the back and they looked very awkward and unsure of what to do. Not a day went by when they did not fight; Lily and Amalthea thought it was a waste of time and they always walked off somewhere else.

"He's just showing off in front of you." Lily whispered to Amalthea. "Put him out of his misery and go out with him." She continued nudging her in the ribs.

"Shh! He might hear you! I've told you I don't even like him. He's my friend." Amalthea said in an irritated tone. She was still thinking of the look she and Snape had exchanged and what it could have meant and her now mixed feelings about Lily. Maybe  
he was jealous, a part of her hoped he was, but she now knew she was too, she couldn't deny she did genuinely like him.

"It's really weird, you don't like anyone, you've been here almost seven years and you've never said anything to me. I'm your friend, I have a right to know." Lily said. Amalthea sighed, she was right. The boys were still arguing so there was no chance  
any of them could hear even if she did decide to say something.

She had been wanting to talk to someone about Snape for a while but she had always felt that she had to keep it a secret, she had kept it bottled up for so long it was beginning to depress her, she needed to hear someone else's opinion, even if it  
was Lily, who possibly loved Severus back but wouldn't admit it. "I need to talk to you about something... but I don't know if I should." Amalthea said quietly biting her lip and shifting uneasily from one foot to the other. "Come over here."  
She said pulling Lily with her.

"I knew you must like someone by now." Lily said excitedly, "But who is it?" she asked eagerly looking around the group. "Remus? No... he's a prefect, not your type I'd imagine."

"No it's not him." Amalthea said, she was dreading telling Lily but she needed someone's opinion.

"James." She said a little warily.

"No, no. He's taken if I remember." Amalthea nudged Lily in the ribs and she blushed and glanced over at James who was shouting at Malfoy.

"You've already said you don't like Sirius." Lily looked around again a little confused. "Not Lucius!" she gasped.

"No!" Amalthea said firmly, "I do have some taste and self respect!"

"Well I don't know who else there is!" Lily said huffing. "Oh dear god," Lily exclaimed, "Are you a...not that I'm judging it's totally your choice...it's not me is it?"

"What? No!" Amalthea laughed but it soon faded away and she took on a more solemn look, "You're going to either hate me or not care...Either way I have to talk to someone..." Amalthea whispered looking over at Snape. Lily looked over following her  
gaze until her eyes fell on the person she was glancing at.

"Oh my god!" she squealed loudly and everyone turned and stared at Lily and Amalthea, who had turned bright red.

"Come on, let's get out of here quick." Amalthea said pushing Lily off into the classroom. They sat down at Amalthea's desk for a moment, able to talk freely before the other students started to come in.

"I can't say I'm not surprised." Lily said, but then she noticed Amalthea's eyes sadden and grow dull. "Amalthea... what's wrong?" she said placing a hand on her shoulder. The other students had started filing into the classroom in hoards.

"I can't tell you now, go..." and she pushed Lily off in the direction of her desk.

Snape eventually entered the classroom and swept across past the other students and seated himself on the opposite side of the small desk. Amalthea did not look at him; she couldn't, because she knew he'd be looking right at her in a quizzical way  
after Lily's outburst. All she could think of was that moment out by the lake when he had kissed her, it seemed so long ago, she wished she were there again but then it faded and she had to shake the idea of Severus and Lily together from her  
mind before she broke into tears.

After a while their professor's voice suddenly became clearer and she listened to what they were telling them to do. "...Now pick up your partners tea cup and tell them what you see, giving as much detail as possible."

Amalthea and Snape's arms brushed slightly as they reached over and took hold of the cups, they looked up momentarily and she was sure she saw him try and hide a smile. Looking into his cup she saw nothing, this lesson was a complete waste of time  
and energy; her family had been seer's and had all been killed over abilities that had never been passed down to her, she gripped the cup hard but when it came close to cracking Snape reached out a hand and placed it onto off the cup, pushing  
it down onto the table.

Amalthea looked up at him, her eyes filled with bitterness, "I don't see anything in yours." She said looking up at him. "I see nothing before me..."

Snape looked angry. "I see something that could never be. Someone who's mistaken what they're feeling." He said quickly and quietly.

"I see fear and cowardice." She replied.

"I see misunderstanding... Amalthea not now, not here..." he trailed off still looking at her.

"I see the love of another, someone before and will always be." Amalthea said looking to Lily and back to him, Snape noticed instantly.

"...We don't want to talk about this now! Just forget about all this... You stupid girl!" Snape spat almost turning mauve with anger.

"Why you-" Amalthea started to say but then suddenly her body jerked with what felt like thousands of volts surging through her body, she gasped for breath as a thousand different people and places passed her eyes, other worlds other lands she had  
never seen in her life. She saw a boy, holding out his wand, laughing menacingly at her and then a bright blue light emitting from it, hitting her in the chest, and pushing her back. She could hear someone shouting at him from far away, begging  
him to stop. Then the images blurred and she fell lifelessly to the floor in the middle of the classroom.

All the students had risen from their seats and were all stood staring down at her as she lay completely still. "Get her to Madam Pomfrey at once! Someone alert Professor Dumbledore quickly!" the professor cried as they knelt beside Amalthea's side  
trying to rouse her but she was hardly breathing.

Down in the infirmary Amalthea had just started to come round. She opened her heavy eyelids and looked around a bewildered expression on her face. Sitting up she realised where she was and proceeded to get out of the bed to find someone who knew what  
had happened. She had only reached the end of her bed when she caught sight of Dumbledore striding towards her; so she sat on the edge of the bed and waited until he was only a few feet away before she spoke.

"What happened to me?" Amalthea said rubbing a bruise on the back of her head. Dumbledore sat on the bed and smiled at her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. Amalthea knew he had totally ignored her question on purpose.

"I'm fine, but what happened?" she persisted.

"You must have fainted due to the heat in the room." He said. Amalthea gave Dumbledore a stern look; she hated it when he wouldn't get to the point. She liked him very much but he seemed to avoid talking normally and answered in confusing riddles,  
which had always intrigued her father but always irritated her.

"I didn't feint. All of a sudden I saw something and now... I'm here." She said flatly. "You know what happened don't you Professor?"

"Well," he started, "I have suspected it for quite some time now, in fact, since you started at Hogwarts. Though I could have been very much mistaken in the past I am now quite sure that you, Miss Erised, have been developing the foresight at a steadily  
increasing rate as of recent."

Amalthea goggled up at him. Was it true?

"That can't be right... my father told me before he died that I didn't possess the foresight. You've got to be wrong." She said knowingly. Dumbledore shook his head.

"He was trying to protect you. You see if anyone knew of your ability, you would indeed be doomed to the same fate as the rest of your family. Telling you that you did not have the ability would prevent anyone from knowing because you would not even  
know... if that makes any sense." Amalthea brushed a few strands of her hair from her eyes.

"So... I just had a vision?"

"It seems so." Dumbledore replied curtly.

"What of though? I didn't understand it." She replied.

"I have no idea. Only you will be able to understand it, or you may never. Rarely are seers able to understand their visions, they are just a medium through which fate works. It is both a blessing and a burden, for that which is seen in a vision is  
set in stone and cannot be changed. Your father would have been extremely fearful for you and may have taken you away from Hogwarts if anyone ever found out, so please, keep this ability concealed from others, we are in dangerous times." Dumbledore  
looked over his half moon spectacles and gave her a smile but through it she could see his concern.

"I won't tell anyone." Amalthea said, she knew that her father would not have told her about this for very good reason, he'd never kept anything from her, she would heed Dumbledore's words because that would have been what he father wanted.

"Well then, we will have you out of this place in the morning all being well with that bump on your head. Good evening. Rest well Amalthea." He smiled giving her a fond pat on her shoulder.

Dumbledore got to his feet and swept away before Amalthea could ask any more questions. She felt oddly drowsy, maybe something caused by the knock she had received to the head and had only been laying down in the bed for a few moments when she drifted  
into a dreamless sleep.

Sirius and the other Marauders had not been allowed down to the Infirmary under the strict instructions of Dumbledore and many of the other teachers which meant of course that they were already on their way down there with the aid of the Marauders  
map.

"Coasts clear." Remus whispered scrambling out from where he had pushed a large stone from the wall. "Come on, Filch isn't that far away." He said eyeing the map uneasily. Filch was a couple of corridors away but was stood perfectly still. Sirius,  
James, and Lily followed and after they had all crawled out of the wall they pushed the stone back and walked over to the big oak doors; they pushed one of them ajar and slipped through the small opening into the quiet hall.

There was no one in the Infirmary apart from Amalthea who lay right at the end surrounded by white linen dividers. There was a candle glowing beside her on the small table so they could see her dark outline. They crept over and peered around the corner,  
she was still asleep.

"I think we best leave her alone, she's asleep." Lily whispered but she was surprised to see Amalthea's eyes flicker open and look around the group.

"I knew you'd do this." Amalthea yawned and the others all smiled and sat down. Remus sat by her side looking up worriedly at her whilst James offered Lily a chair and then knelt beside her and Sirius jumped on the end of the bed and shuffled up to  
her.

"You really gave us a shock." James said. "What happened?"

Amalthea shrugged. "Guess I just fainted or something."

"Was it Snivellus?" Sirius said through gritted teeth. "Lily saw you arguing again." Amalthea looked over to Lily who looked just as eager to hear what had happened as Sirius.

"Yeah one moment you two were at each others throats then you stood up, your cup dropped and smashed and you blacked out and fell down the stairs near your table. You really fell badly, I'm surprised you haven't broken anything." She said looking  
her up and down for any injuries.

"Are you okay?" Sirius said placing his hand on her hand.

"Yeah I'm fine, my head's just sore." She half-laughed rubbing her head.

"What?" Sirius exclaimed moving closer to her. "Your head! That's bad, you might have concussion or something! Can you see straight? How many fingers am I holding up?" Amalthea ignored Sirius as he waved his hand in front of her and continued to try  
and examine her head very flustered. Amalthea looked at Remus and they both rolled their eyes.

"You're alright to return to lessons tomorrow then?" he said calming down and sliding back as she slapped his hands off her.

"Dumbledore didn't say anything about lessons but I can leave in the morning as long as I'm ok. I suppose I will be." She replied.

Remus' eyes narrowed. "Dumbledore was here?" he said suspiciously.

"Yes, I suppose he wanted to make sure I was okay... I think he feels a little responsible for me after... well... after dad... you know." She trailed off. Talking about her father was hard, it had not been that long since he had given his life for  
hers and she had still not come to terms with the whole thing.

Remus nodded, "Yeah... still doesn't explain why we couldn't see you." Amalthea looked away from Remus, she was afraid that if she held his gaze a moment longer he would have figured out what she was hiding though that was near enough impossible.  
Somehow Remus always found out other people's secrets, their eyes gave them away too easily.

"You won't believe how many people blamed it on Sev." Lily said looking at Amalthea for a long time trying to pass something telepathically but obviously Amalthea couldn't read her mind, she would just have to wait to talk to her. "Everyone's really  
angry at him and if they didn't have a reason to harass him before, they have now."

Amalthea shifted uneasily remembering that day she had seen him sat on his own and pitied him, that same day she had made it clear to him that she didn't care if she was teased about them always being together. She had made things worse now, she had  
given everyone a reason to torment him just as he had predicted.

"Well it wasn't his fault." Amalthea said.

"Who cares?" Said Sirius, "I'm just glad you're alright."

Amalthea didn't hear Sirius or the others as they all began talking amongst themselves quietly, she didn't hear Filch as he stormed into the Infirmary either, she was thinking about Snape, she was thinking about how difficult and strained they had  
been with each other, and she wondered if they would ever get round to completing their project or even speaking ever again.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Filch said as he stomped up to them followed by Mrs. Norris. "I've got you now! Straight to Professor McGonagall now the lot of you!" They all groaned and stood up, Remus looking exceptionally embarrassed, what would McGonagall  
say when she saw him with them, he never got caught. It was only an hour after they were all supposed to be in their common rooms; maybe she would let them off.

"See you tomorrow." Sirius said.

"If you're still here Black!" Filch spat ushering them down the hall.

"Oh we will be." James said under his breath to Sirius.

"How did you know we were here?" Remus asked sceptically.

"Not that its any of you're concern Lupin but I got a tip off from a very reliable source." He replied slamming the door to the Infirmary. Amalthea lay back in bed and looked up at the high ceiling.

She was completely awake now and finding it hard to stop thinking about Lily's words. She was angry with Snape but at the same time wishing that he had not been the first person everyone's blame always fell on. He had always been on the receiving  
end of the Marauders' jokes for as long as she could remember which was bad enough, she had even played some herself in the first couple of years. It was time for everyone to grow up.

Amalthea remembered her second year at Hogwarts, there had been so many rumours flying round it was hard to tell one from the other but she remembered the first one that had concerned her and surprised to find that she had forgotten it so quickly  
her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. Sometime that year someone had either made it up or found out that Snape not only had a crush on Lily but now had one on her best friend Amalthea, she had tormented him so much about it at every chance  
that he had missed several of their lessons together.

Amalthea and Sirius had sat together laughing behind their books and flicking ink at him when the professor had been looking elsewhere. Amalthea felt tears welling in her eyes. Ever since her father had died she had become detached from the world  
around her and had completely forgotten the good times she had had at Hogwarts with the Marauders. How had she forgotten so many important things? Especially all the times she had pushed Sirius to do something horrible to Snape for her amusement.

It was common knowledge that Sirius liked Amalthea but now she realised that it was even more known that Snape had never relinquished his feelings. Amalthea realised how he must have felt that day by the lake, wondering whether the rest of the Marauders  
were hiding somewhere laughing at him as she played with his heart. Trust was something that Snape had never experienced or given, he was sharp-tongued and unemotional for a reason, he was afraid of being hurt again, rejected by Lily, now rejected  
by her.

Amalthea noticed something out of the corner of her eye and shuffled to the end of her bed and looked around the divider; the door was slightly ajar. It had been closed earlier; she had heard Filch slam it.

"Sirius?" she said quietly but loud enough for anyone who was in the room to hear.

"No." said a voice approaching her out of the darkness. "He's with McGonagall I expect." It said. Amalthea strained to see the figure approaching her but they were still shrouded in shadows.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Me." Said the figure as the soft candlelight hit them. It was Snape.

Amalthea sat back down on the bed. "How did you manage to avoid Filch?" she questioned him looking down the hall.

"I made sure he was too busy with them to notice me slip in here." He replied crossing his arms and looking at her with an emotionless expression.

"You tipped him off." Amalthea said brusquely.

"My you're intelligent aren't you." He said unenthusiastically.

"Are you only here to laugh at the invalid?" Amalthea spat. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Nasty aren't we."

"Just go away." She said turning from him. "Leave me alone." Amalthea felt like her heart was breaking for some reason, she couldn't' force out the memory of their kiss, it had been stuck at the front of her mind since it had happened. She'd never  
liked anyone, and now foolishly she'd become fond of one of her former enemies.

Snape sat on the end of the bed still with his arms crossed. "Why?" he asked in a tone, which suggested he was interested to hear her reasons.

"Because I'm tired." She replied quickly wiping her eyes.

"I don't think you are."

"Yes I am!" she exclaimed trying to hold back some tears but they escaped and rolled down her tears. "I'm really really tired and I just want to sleep." She threw herself down and rammed her head into the pillow. There was a long silence between them  
then she felt him get up and move closer. As she lay on one half of the bed facing away from him she felt him sit behind her.

"Why are you crying?" he asked quietly. Amalthea sighed sadly.

"Because you don't believe me."

"What about?" Amalthea couldn't be bothered talking anymore and shut her eyes trying to ignore him but he continued to sit behind her and did not move. She rolled onto her back and looked up at him, he still had his arms crossed but his head was tilted  
to one side as he looked at her and she was sure he was smiling a bit, but maybe it was the angle she was looking at him. She sat up, her eyes a little red.

She sighed sadly again and leant her head on his shoulder. "I like you." She said.

"No you don't." He replied. Amalthea put her arms around his waist hugging him but not expecting him to return her embrace at all. She just wanted to hold onto someone, someone who wouldn't go away. She hoped that he would stay and remembered the  
rumour started so many years ago; playing on his emotions as much as she didn't want to, gave her some sort of comfort and hope, knowing that she was liked and returned her feelings.

"Well will you just stay a little while until I fall asleep." She sniffed.

Snape didn't say anything but leaned back against the headboard uncrossing his arms; she shuffled down the bed and laid her head on his chest placing one of her arms under his back and the other over his lap. She felt really comfortable; she just  
wanted someone to be there while she fell asleep. "Just until you know I'm asleep." She said yawning and closing her eyes.

He placed an arm around her shoulder and with his other hand she felt him pull some of her hair off one of his shirt buttons which it had become caught around. He continued to untangle her hair every so often then jerkily he sighed and secretly slipped  
his fingers through her hair as she fell into a deep sleep.

By the time the weekend came, Amalthea had been out of the Infirmary for a while, in fact the morning when she woke up she found that Snape had disappeared and in his place was Sirius beaming at her as she rubbed her eyes. Thrilled, he told her that  
McGonagall had not expelled them but instead had given them only a detention each to Filch's dismay, after which he then mentioned that she was fine to leave the Infirmary but if her head ached anymore she was to go and see Madam Pomfrey as soon  
as possible.

Amalthea and Snape were both back on civil speaking terms but both did not mention the night in the Infirmary or anything to do with the arguments they had both had following their kiss. Amalthea thought that it was best to hide her feelings, she  
didn't want to cause anymore hassle, after all he was starting to ease up a bit the more time they spent together and she did not want to break his trust. She had begun to see a side to him that she knew no one else had.

"What are we doing?" she whispered to Snape one day in Transfiguration.

"I don't know. I wasn't listening." He whispered. Amalthea turned slightly to face him, he was looking over their projects ingredients written down on an old piece of parchment. He kept crossing things out and changing measurements but when he was  
reading he poised the tip of his quill at his lips.

Amalthea held her hand up to her mouth trying to muffle the sound of her laugher,,she smiled widely still trying to hold back the laugher as he looked up worriedly at her. The ink from the quill had leaked out all over his bottom lip.

"What?" he asked unknowingly.

"Ink...the ink... from your quill." She laughed. Snape turned pale and wiped his lip with the robe of his sleeve but it made it worse smearing it all over so he looked like he'd applied black lipstick rather thickly. Amalthea had to pull up a book  
in front of her to hide herself from the Professor McGonagall who was still sat at her desk reviewing something while the class turned their frogs into roses and then back again.

"Is it gone?" he asked.

"No!" she exclaimed wiping tears from her eyes. "You've made it worse." Snape furrowed his brow and huffed rubbing it harder on his sleeve; eventually he managed to get it off but there was still a bit on his cheek. "There's some there." She pointed.  
Snape rubbed at completely the wrong bit missing it by miles.

"No. Here..." she said rubbing it with her thumb until it was off.

Over on the other side of the classroom Sirius' eyes were locked on the both of them and had been for most of the lesson. "I don't like it." He growled at Peter who was sat beside him. "I don't like it at all."

"What's that?" Peter said eyeing him quickly and then flicking his wand above his frog, which instead of turning into a rose, turned into a green daisy which croaked.

"Them, together, talking...I'm sure I just saw her touch him!" Sirius replied leaning back on his chair and turning to James who was sat beside Lucius as far away as he could drag his chair. "Don't you agree?" Sirius said to James.

"Oh give it up Sirius, it's Snivellus, she doesn't want anything to do with him." James said cautiously or else Lucius would start another argument and they'd both be in detention again.

Lucius snorted. "Hah. You'd be surprised Potter."

"Shove it Malfoy." Sirius barked.

"A bit touchy on that subject aren't we Black." Lucius grinned.

"I said shut up." Sirius snarled shooting him a dark look.

"Or what?" Lucius said leaning in. The Black girls, Narcissa, Bellatrix and Andromeda were all giggling in their seats behind Lucius as they had been listening to them. "Amalthea is getting quite fond of Snape's company but then again I'm not surprised  
when her other option is you." Lucius laughed.

Sirius looked worriedly over at Amalthea who was now leaning on her hand and smiling at Snape as he continued to scribble things down on the parchment and chat to her at every spare moment he had.

"Don't listen to him." James said. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"You'll find he does Potter." Narcissa said silkily.

"Oh yeah?" James said turning around to face her. Her long blonde hair floated through the air as she tossed it over her shoulder and she looked down at him with her blue piercing eyes. "Go on then, amuse me." James said but wondered whether this  
was actually a good idea.

Narcissa smiled, "I overheard Amalthea talking about the Yule ball to that Evans girl," she shuddered and looked as though she had said something dirty at the mention of Lily's name, "they were both talking about who they wanted to take them..." she  
trailed off smiling at Lucius then she looked back at Sirius, "she said she was hoping that Severus would ask her."

"LIAR!" Sirius shouted rising from his seat.

Professor McGonagall rose from her seat. "Mr Black! What is the meaning of this outburst!" she exclaimed. "Explain yourself!"

Sirius was panting hard, full of rage. "Liar." He whispered at Narcissa but she looked extremely pleased and smiled sweetly. Sirius looked over to Amalthea who sat absolutely astonished next to Snape who was equally surprised. "It's nothing." Sirius  
said to Professor McGonagall. "Nothing important." He said stressing the word nothing as he shot a disdainful look at Narcissa who was still smiling.

"Well, nothing it going to cost you ten house points and a detention this evening." McGonagall said resuming her seat and staring at him harshly for the next few minutes.

"What did you have to go and let her get to you like that?" James said haughtily, "You know it's not true, now we're going to miss Quidditch practice!" Sirius didn't care, he was still looking rather miserable and had both eyes fixed on Amalthea and  
Snape again.

"It is true, isn't it?" Sirius said darkly. "What?" James said irritated and looking over to Amalthea and Snape.

James hadn't noticed before but now that he looked a little closely, they were behaving rather strangely. James and Snape had been at each other's throat since they had met but as of recently they had had hardly anytime to shoot as much as a single  
liner at one another. James had been too preoccupied with Lucius and to notice that even Snape had given up trying to speak to Lily, his girlfriend with whom Snape was supposedly head over heels in love with.

"There's only one way to find out." James said, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"What's that then?" Sirius asked interested.

"Well you need to ask her to the dance. If she's already going with someone and she says it's Snape then you know they're..." James gave Sirius a disgusted side-ways look and made a point of crossing two fingers. "And you can punch his lights out  
or whatever. But if you ask her and she's not going with anyone, then she'll have to say yes to you and then she can't go with him. Problem solved."

Sirius grinned madly his eyes flashing with the sudden realisation at how devious the plan was. "And that is why you're my best friend." Sirius said shaking James' hand.

"Are you going to fight him?" Peter said excitedly.

"I'm going to knock his nose clean off." Said Sirius his eyes still gleaming.


	5. Chapter 5

An Extraordinary Find

"Well, that's great isn't it." Lily said gloomily prodding at some Christmas pudding in the large bowl before her. "How am I supposed to afford a new dress now? I thought that they were going to judge this project before we split up for Christmas!"

"You already knew that." Amalthea looked up after swallowing her last spoonful. "You're pretty sure you're going to win this."

"Yeah I am, but it's no good to me after the ball, I need the money now." Lily said. "And it's the last ball we'll ever go to here." She sighed and pushed the pudding away, her appetite lost.

It was the last weekend before the Yule ball and by now everyone had paired up with someone else to go with. All of the girls sat swooning over their partners and talking about the dresses they were going to wear whilst the boys whispered about  
things the girls would not have liked to hear. It was also the last Hogsmeade weekend and after breakfast they would all venture into the village for the afternoon.

"At least you've got James to go with?" Amalthea said looking down the table to where James and Sirius were whispering to each other and glancing down the table at them whilst Remus looked bored and Peter flicked through a book in front of him then  
scribbled on a piece of tatty parchment.

"I suppose so, though he's not asked me formally yet. He can't just expect us to be going, I want to be asked." Lily said looking shiftily at him. "Oh, this might be it." She said seeing James take a deep breath and stand up. "I can't wait to wind  
him up about it." Amalthea and Lily both pretended they hadn't seen James approach when he eventually reached them and start to babble.

"Hello...alright? What you up to? Christmas pudding eh?" he said awkwardly. Lily raised an eyebrow and gave Amalthea a look, which suggested she wanted to say, 'You look like a prat, just get on with it.' Even though they were together it had never  
been officially announced though everyone knew it had been coming for years.

"We're both fine, aren't we Amalthea, absolutely fine." Lily she said looking away.

"Oh yeah, both fine." Amalthea joined in grinning at her faux standoffish attitude.

"Good good. Hey, are you still going to the thing... you know, next week." James asked leaning on the low table so it looked like he had a bad back. He stood back up realising he looked quite silly and perched on the edge ruffling his hair up. Lily  
hated it when he did that and shot him a disregarding look.

"What next week." She said trying to hold back an annoyed tone. He noticed and tried to flatten his hair back down again.

"Well erm...the Yule ball." He said.

"Oh that thing... well... Yes I was thinking about it." Lily smiled looking at Amalthea who was finding it hard to keep a straight face.

"Oh good." James breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Sirius who gestured for him to keep going. "Lily...will you go with me?" he blurted. Lily widened her eyes in amazement, he'd actually asked her without dawdling around and trying to look  
cool!

"Well I erm..." Lily stammered uneasily, she had not seen this straightforward side of James coming at all. James had put her on the spot and she couldn't think of anything clever to say in return; her cheeks flushed and she twisted a finger in her  
hair uneasily. "Y-yes..." she said shyly. James looked as if he was going to jump through the ceiling.

"Really?" he grinned and she nodded trying to hide her face. "Oh that's great... really really great..." James ran back to Sirius and the others and chatted away with them not stopping for breaths.

"What happened there?" Amalthea smiled at Lily who had composed herself but was smiling uncontrollably.

"I messed up..." Lily said placing a hand over her eyes. "Do you think he noticed?"

"No, he was too nervous to notice." Amalthea said sympathetically. She had watched how Lily and James acted with each other in normal situations and had decided that they would become a very good couple if they only calmed down and communicated better  
with each other.

Looking down the table James was talking to Remus and Peter excitedly but when she looked over at Sirius he was looking at her with a very determined look, then as James had done only moments before, he took a deep breath and got to his feet. Warning  
bells started to go off in Amalthea's head and she panicked.

"I've got to go." She said quickly as Sirius began to approach. "He's coming to ask me to go with him!" Amalthea gestured to Sirius, grabbed her bag and ran as fast as she could from the great hall not stopping until she reached the dungeons where  
she hid around a corner panting out of breath.

She couldn't hear Sirius coming; maybe Lily had stopped him on the way. She stood there for a while and then deciding that he hadn't seen where she had gone she slid onto one of the cold stone steps and breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't understand  
why she had been so afraid of what Sirius was going to say, but for some reason she didn't want him to ask. In fact it was probably because she only wanted one person to ask her right now.

'What's wrong with me?' Amalthea thought to herself as the name in her head went round her mind in circles over and over repeating itself.

Snape.

Amalthea blushed, she wanted Snape to ask her to go, but that wouldn't happen, for starters they were supposed to be back to enemies and secondly if they did go to the Yule ball together there would be a lot of arguments started between her friends  
and his. Maybe they could both go alone and talk to each other occasionally through the evening, but no, people were only supposed to think that the reason they talked to each other was over the project. There was no friendship between them; there  
had been no kiss, no late night rendezvous.

"Manage to avoid him again did you?" Said a voice suddenly from behind her; Amalthea span round quickly to see Snape stood a few steps higher then where she was sitting, his arms crossed a slight smile on his face.

"Oh..." she breathed, "It's you." Snape smiled properly and walked to the bottom of the steps.

"He's going to start suspecting something if you keep running away from him." He said giving her a knowing sideways look.

"What do you mean?" Amalthea asked brushing her hair with her hands and adjusting her robes when he was looking away.

"I mean you can't run forever. He's going to ask you eventually." He replied.

"Oh...well how did you-"

"-Know he was going to ask you?" Snape said finishing her question. "I keep overhearing him talking to Potter and the rest of those dismal excuses for wizard's saying 'I'm going to ask her today' and 'what should I say to her' and 'do you think she'll  
say yes', it's quite pathetic really." Amalthea remained quiet.

"What are you going to say to him?" he said slowly and Amalthea looked up at him, he was looking down at the floor with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow. He had sounded like he had wanted to say his question more coolly but it had come out in a half  
worried tone instead and he did not look up but said "Hm?"

"Well I don't know... I can't really say no can I? No one else has asked me yet." She said trying to hint to him as obviously as she could but he didn't get it. "Who are you asking?"

"No one, I'm not going." Snape said.

"Why?" Amalthea said quickly getting to her feet.

"I don't like stuff like that, if you hadn't noticed I wasn't there last year or the previous ones." He replied. Amalthea thought back to the year before. She and Sirius had gone as friends because that had been the year when they had been inseparable  
before Amalthea's father had died. She could not remember Snape being at the Yule ball at all. "You went with Sirius though."

"Yes..." she said quietly remembering her father.

"But I suppose things were different last year. He hadn't developed a deeper interest." Snape said coldly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amalthea asked. Snape sighed and locked his dark eyes on her.

"It means that he'll be expecting something this year if you say 'yes'. He'll take advantage of his situation." Amalthea laughed but Snape was standing with a dark look on his face unflinching, clearly a little upset.

"Sirius isn't that bad despite what you think of him." Amalthea said distantly remembering when she and Sirius had just been simple friends and had got into trouble in classes for doing stupid things.

"Oh yeah, I remember having to save you from his affections previously." Snape said sarcastically.

"Oh grow up!" Amalthea said angrily. "If you're so bothered about me going with him, then just ask me to go with you!" Amalthea blurted out without thinking and then turned bright red, Snape stood lost for words.

"You want me to go with you?" He said with a raised eyebrow recomposing himself.

"Yes." She said hanging her head.

"But I can't." he said sharply.

"Well why not! Is it because of...because you don't her to see us..." Amalthea shouted, she wanted to say her friends name but she couldn't bare the answer to that question, "It's because it's me isn't it. The wrong person."

"You infuriating girl!" Snape snapped, "it's because I'm not going to be here!" he replied trying to hold back his frustration. Amalthea looked up quickly her eyes widening, it wasn't because of Lily? "I'm going home during that day, I always do!"

"I'm...sorry..." Amalthea said feeling so awkward she wanted the ground to swallow her up.

"It's fine." He said shortly.

"Where do you go?" Amalthea asked feeling very stupid and changing the subject quickly.

"Back... home..." he said after a moment of consideration. Amalthea felt very disheartened, but now she felt a little easier, she would not have to worry about saying 'yes' to Sirius and then feeling guilty for being with him when Snape showed up  
on his own. It was quite a relief really that Snape was going home for Christmas because now she would have more time to spend with her friends who were all beginning to get very suspicious.

"So, are you ready?" Snape asked.

"Sorry?" Amalthea said very confused about what he was talking about.

"You are going to Hogsmeade aren't you?"

"Oh!" Amalthea exclaimed slapping her hand on her head. "Yes, sorry, I completely forgot." She apologised starting to make her way up the stairs. Snape rolled his eyes and followed her.

They looked very unusual walking together. Amalthea was dressed in a blue jumper and long flowing black skirt with a sapphire blue velvet robe and her Ravenclaw scarf whereas Snape's clothes were concealed with a long black robe tightly wrapped around  
him with both arms and his overly long Slytherin scarf billowing out behind him. Though they did not feel out of place together they soon discovered that they were the centre of everyone's attention as they entered the village of Hogsmeade.

Students were whispering and giggling amongst themselves, making snide remarks behind their hands as they passed and wondering whether they dared throw the snowball, which they had scooped moments previous.

Amalthea's eyes flashed white. "Move!" she said grabbing Snape's arm and pulling him aside into her as a snowball zoomed past where his head had been only a moment previous. Amalthea looked nervously across at Snape, but he was avoiding her gaze and  
staring straight ahead of him. She felt uneasy at why he hadn't asked any questions but remained silent hoping that he had just thought she had seen them throw it out of the corner of her eye.

Amalthea passed the first few shops and then her attention was drawn to the shop she favoured most highly above the others. She stopped by the window of unusual objects shop she loved to look in and gazed at its contents. It was different every time  
she passed by and today there was an assortment of bizarre objects ranging from something that looked like a sundial with strange creatures moving over its surface to a large antique broomstick date 200bc.

Her attention was drawn over many different things until her heart jerked in her throat when she beheld a beautiful pendant. It was like a small acorn made out of what looked like frosted crystal and surrounded by silver etched symbols. Inside the  
frosted glass she could see a strange sort of silver dust swirling around and when she stared at it a little longer the dust began to move quickly and swirl in all directions making patterns, which looked like little galaxies.

"You look like you've never seen one before." Snape said coolly.

"I haven't..." Amalthea said trailing off, she was so enchanted with the pendant that she had hardly realised he was still with her. "I grew up in the Muggle world..."

"Really?" Snape said interestedly. Amalthea then remembered, she wasn't supposed to tell anyone that.

"I mean... I was far too interested in the Muggle world to have enough time for my own." She said covering her tracks. Snape laughed to himself quietly.

"Well, you know in the Muggle world they have those silly little pieces of jewellery that are supposed to change colour when your mood changes?" he said in a disgusted tone.

"You mean 'Mood Rings'" Amalthea said.

"Quite." Snape sneered, "Well 'Mood Rings' only change their colour due to body heat whereas these things... do actually change when its bearer's mood changes." Amalthea stared at the pendant even more and pressed hard against the glass trying to  
see the price on it but it wasn't visible.

"It the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Snape looked across at Amalthea whose eyes remained fixed on it reflecting its colours in her own green eyes.

He looked down at the pendant and then back at Amalthea, then said "They're very rare... that's the first one I've seen apart from in books. They were made in ancient times, long forgotten by most now."

Amalthea saddened, she had never wanted or asked for anything in her life and now that she had found something she wanted she was compelled to actually go into the store and ask how much it was.

Snape rested a hand lightly on her arm, "I think it's just for display." He said and gently pulled her away.

They had been looking around the shops for some time when Snape suddenly bolted around the corner into a dark alley without saying a word. Amalthea was just about to follow when she felt a hand on her shoulder; when she turned around she was faced  
with a Sirius who was covered in a great deal of snow.

"Hi." He smiled, "You feeling alright? You kind of ran off when you saw me coming over earlier." He shook his head and snow flew everywhere covering Amalthea. "Sorry." He grinned.

"I'm alright now, just felt like I was going to be sick, I think it was the Christmas pudding or something, didn't taste right." Amalthea smiled sticking out her tongue.

"How come you didn't wait for us?" he asked a little disappointed.

"Wanted to get a head start... need to find myself a dress you know." She said awkwardly not knowing what to say. Sirius' face lightened and a huge grin spread across his face.

"Ah, so you're going are you? Someone asked you already?"

"No... I'm going alone at the moment." Amalthea said quietly casting a sly look out of the corner of her eye, trying to see where Snape was. She turned her head over her shoulder pretending to look in the window but as far as she could see, Snape  
had gone somewhere.

"On your own? You can't do that!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I haven't got any choice have I?" she said, peering past Sirius. She saw Snape over by the Three Broomsticks waiting quietly for her but looking over a piece of parchment trying to look like he was doing something but failing miserably and glancing  
at her every few seconds as if to see her and Sirus tightly embracing and declaring their undying love for each other.

"Hello." Said a friendly voice accompanied by several pairs of feet trudging through the snow approaching them. Sirius and Amalthea turned around greeting Remus, James, Peter and Lily who were all equally covered in as much snow as Sirius had been.

"Should have known why you'd run off from a perfectly good snowball fight!" James laughed.

"Having fun?" Lily said a knowing look on her face.

"Lots." Amalthea said shortly.

"We're off to the Three Broomsticks if you want to join us today." Remus said in a would-be friendly tone if it hadn't been for it sounding a little mean. Amalthea was sure that Remus had figured out something about her and Snape. Amalthea looked  
over at the Three Broomsticks and was surprised to find Snape talking to Lucius, Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda, they had been speaking for a while then all five of them walked off further into the town. Amalthea looked back over at the others  
and smiled, "Love to."

When they were all seated in one of the corner tables near a window, Sirius got up, took their orders and wandered off to the bar to fetch their drinks. Amalthea looked around and was surprised to see them all looking at her, smiling with strange  
looks on their faces.

"So?" Remus said in a knowing tone. Amalthea felt her face drain of all colour and she broke out in a terrified cold sweat. They knew, all of them. She looked around to Lily who said nothing, then James who looked as if he might be hiding anger somewhere  
beneath the surface, then to Remus who might have been looking disapproving then to Peter who sat eagerly looking around for someone to say something to her.

"W-what?" Amalthea said nervously.

"You know what." Lily said.

"I... have no idea." Amalthea said trying to remain calm.

"About a certain person." James said flatly.

"What about a certain person?" Amalthea said gripping her hands tightly together under the table. They all stared at her for a moment then looked at each other with the same strange looks then looked back at her.

"Sirius." Remus said.

Amalthea did not breathe a sigh of relief just yet as they were all still looking at her. "What about Sirius?"

"He's been wanting to ask you to go to the Yule ball, but it seems like you've been avoiding his question for some reason." James said leaning back on his chair. As he did this all the others relaxed and sat back not staring at Amalthea but instead  
looking wherever they pleased. So they knew nothing about her and Snape, which was a relief.

"I had no idea he was going to ask me." Amalthea lied.

"Pah!" James laughed, "Don't be so modest, we all know Sirius has girls falling at his feet but you know he's only got eyes for you!" Amalthea felt awkward, she didn't like people talking about her and Sirius that way, it made her feel uncomfortable,  
they had been childhood friends so long.

"I thought Sirius would be looking for someone he liked rather than just a friend." She said quietly looking over at the bar where Sirius had just had his order taken.

"She's got no idea, has she?" Remus smirked at James who rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

"Sirius likes you, he's fallen completely head over heels and has been since last year! You're all he ever talks about, it's getting really boring actually!" James said wrinkling his nose and rocking backwards and forwards on his chair.

Amalthea considered for a moment how strange he had been acting since the end of last term up until present and now everything fit. Sirius wanted her to be his girlfriend. Sirius made his way back through the pub with a tray of drinks and sat down  
in a conveniently spare seat next to Amalthea. She looked at him as he began handing out the drinks and talking with all the others and wondered why she had been so scared.

"Sirius," she whispered tapping him on the arm, he turned to face her and as she saw all the others talking amongst themselves and not paying any attention to them she carried on, "I just wanted to apologise for avoiding you..." Sirius smiled and  
looked up into her eyes.

She placed a hand on his knee reassuringly and he placed his on top of hers, "It's okay..." he said trailing off, hoping for an answer as to why she had been avoiding him.

"I've been so busy trying to make ends meet with this project that I completely forgot my friends... and I was really... well..." she thought of a word that would fit but only one came to her mind, "...well... I was really nervous about you asking  
me..."

Sirius' eyes were full of the same kindness she had seen the previous year after her father had passed away; an understanding and sympathy only a friend could give. He looked away for a moment, then taking her other hand he sighed, with an unsure  
smile of his face he said, "I'd really like it if I would be the one you'd come to the Yule ball with... again...It would really make my last year perfect."

Amalthea thought of Snape and how he would react, but Snape was just the person she was assigned to now, not a friend even, or something more, he was supposed to be an enemy, she wasn't even sure what they were anymore. Anyway, he wouldn't be there  
and she was entitled to go with one of her friends wasn't she? Deciding that she would rather be with Sirius than on her own at a party she smiled. "I'd love that."

Sirius jumped off his chair into the air exclaiming "Yes!" and then as he tried to sit down he bumped into the edge of the table spilling all of their drinks.

Amalthea had stayed in the Three Broomsticks for a couple of drinks and then had remembered that she needed to go and look for a dress. She said goodbye to the others and then hugged an elated Sirius with a permanent grin spread over his face and  
left to search Hogsmeade for suitable attire.

All the shops had been ransacked by now by all of the other girls and there was hardly any choice of dresses, in fact it seemed as if everything had been bought, regardless of its colour, size and appearance. Amalthea sighed as she closed the door  
to the final shop and stepped out into the dim afternoon; it was starting to get dark and many of the students had already gone back to Hogwarts to settle in and await their evening meal. Snow was gently falling and Amalthea pulled up her velvet  
hood and walked quietly past the shops.

She had not got very far when she heard a voice in her head tell her to stop, so she stopped and looked around not so sure she had heard the voice in her head but from somewhere around her. The street was vacant and still, there was no one there but  
her. Looking around she saw something odd, a shop that hadn't been there for as long as she had remembered.

It was small, like it had been squeezed in between the other two buildings and had a thin crooked door and one large window in which a soft pale pink light illuminated its contents. She walked over, pressed her hands against the glass and peered in;  
through the window she could see more clearly now, inside there seemed to be a large tree which sprouted from the floor in the middle of the shop, its thick branches stretching out making a canopy through which the ceiling was hidden.

Around the room were rails with large veils drawn across the front so that the contents, which seemed to be clothes, were hidden on the rack. A chaise- long was placed behind the empty dress stands and pink display in the window and upon it sat a  
very old witch with pale skin and white hair in a long white satin robe with gold etched around the sleeves and hem; she sat quietly sewing something on her lap.

The shop seemed oddly comforting, like a long lost friend she had been eager to see but had never seen before. Amalthea walked over to the frosted glass door, pressed down the ornate gold handle and pushed the door open. The top of the door hit a  
tiny crystal bell softly alerting the owner that their customer had arrived.

Amalthea stood in the doorway looking around the room, now that she was inside everything seemed so much more beautiful. Tiny crystals in the shape of animals hung from the branches of the trees and there was a feint tinkling of what sounded like  
wind chimes coming from the back room. Unsure of why she what she was actually doing there she went to move forwards but instead became nervous and started to back away towards the door.

"Please come in.," the old witch said softly, turning to face Amalthea. She was very old but very fair with misty blue eyes and a warm smile. She moved gracefully without any effort at all and rose serenely from her seat.

"I'm sorry..." Amalthea said anxiously, "I'm not sure why I came in."

The witch smiled and her eyes were soft, "It's quite alright, I'm quite surprised that you found me actually." She gestured to the seat graciously and Amalthea felt obliged to sit. "Would you like something to drink?" the witch asked picking up a  
long thin white wand and tapping the small delicate glass table next to her. A tray appeared on which there was a slender porcelain steaming jug and two small cups.

"Oh... thank you... but I don't drink tea..." Amalthea said politely. The witch tapped the jug, "Then perhaps some Elderberry juice." She tipped the jug over one of the cups and out flowed a light red liquid and she passed it to Amalthea, then poured  
again into her own cup and out came tea. She sat back on the chaise-long and smiled at Amalthea while she stirred the contents of her cup.

"I'm sorry to be so rude but I've never seen your shop before..." Amalthea said trying to understand how she had come to such a mysterious place.

The witch laughed lightly, "Not many do I'm afraid, though I have been here a lot longer than most of them put together you might say." The witch sipped her tea elegantly and then placed it on the table. "So you have come to my abode Amalthea."

Amalthea started, the witch knew her name, but that was impossible, she had never met this woman in her life, or had she? Amalthea got the strange feeling that she had known this lady for a long time but that was impossible, she had only just met  
this person only a few moments ago.

"Who are you?" Amalthea asked quizzically.

"Rowena." The witch said quietly. "And you my dear are one of the very few to have found... well... rather stumbled across, this shop." She flicked her wand in the air and the tree before her seemed to twist and then give off a feint humming sound.

"Forgive me, but what do you sell?" Amalthea asked.

"I do not sell anything." The witch smiled looking at Amalthea closely. "You see those who find my shop need no money for that which they desire." Amalthea felt strange, how many people had actually found this shop?

"Only four, including yourself Amalthea." The witch said. Amalthea smiled, she must be a skilled Legilimens. "Tell me, you found me because you needed something, did you not?" Amalthea thought of the dress she had been trying to look for but had no  
luck finding, is that what Rowena could have meant?

"There is something... well... I'm going to the Yule ball at Hogwarts next week and today was my last chance to find something. As you can see I'm going to be returning empty handed."

The witch rose from her chair clutching at her wand, "Ah the Yule ball, how wonderful." She beamed and with a simple swish of her hand all of the veils drew back and Amalthea was astonished to see the most beautiful dresses she could never had ever  
imagined! There was every colour under the sun in different shades and made from different materials, there were long ones, short ones, trailing ones, floaty ones, every type of dress you could think of.

"Oh my..." Amalthea said walking over to one of the rails and looking at a pale lilac one. "I don't believe it, this is amazing..."

The witch laughed, "First thing about a successful shop my dear, always have a large selection of whatever the customer needs!" she resumed her seat whilst Amalthea walked around the shop pulling out different dresses and holding them up to her. "So  
which house were you placed in?" the witch asked casually.

"Ravenclaw." Amalthea replied.

The witch nodded, "I see, very good, an excellent choice for such a keen mind and insight. Now, my dear, put down those dresses and come here to me." She said gesturing to Amalthea, so she put the dress she was holding back on the rack and walked  
over to the witch just a few feet in front of her. "If we are to find a suitable dress then let's make it fun, now close your eyes and imagine the happiest moments of your life."

Amalthea smiled and did as she was told without evening thinking, she trusted this woman entirely and didn't know why. She thought back to memories of her father, friends, and all the good times they had had together and then finally her mind wandered  
to Snape and the kiss under the beech tree, Amalthea opened her eyes to see the witch smiling at her. Amalthea blushed a little and the witch chuckled to herself.

"It is always that feeling that make you feel glad to be alive, makes you feel special, like you're on top of the world." The witch said, then she pointed her wand at Amalthea and said, "It is that feeling that we will use to make your dream dress!"  
She twisted her wand in the air and Amalthea gasped and then from her chest a tiny little silver wisp emerged and gently hovered in the air, it then spread out and encompassed Amalthea.

All she could see around her was a bright white light, protecting her from the outside world; she felt safe and warm and closed her eyes feeling a soft touch like feathers all over her skin. When she opened her eyes she was stood back in the middle  
of the room and the witch was sat quietly finishing her tea.

"What just happened." Amalthea said giggling as a shiver ran up her spine.

"You just picked out your favourite dress." Rowena said casually. "Have a look then." Amalthea felt a little colder than before and went to pull her robes around her more tightly, but there was only one problem, she wasn't wearing her robes. She turned  
around slowly and then saw her reflection in a tall gleaming mirror.

"I...don't know what to say..." Amalthea said in awe. "It's perfect!"

"Just say you'll come back and visit me for Christmas. I get so lonely up here on my own." Rowena said approaching Amalthea from and placing a soft hand on her shoulder. Amalthea was sure she had seen her eyes somewhere before. Rowena reminded her  
of her father, the same kind and caring nature, the way they made her feel so safe and comfortable, it was as if she were seeing him again. She placed her hand on Rowena's and looked up misty eyed.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" Amalthea asked.

"Perhaps." Rowena said. "Amalthea. I'm here because you wanted to find me, because you are alone, as I once felt alone... perhaps I will tell you about me the next time you come, but for now you should have been back at the school hours ago."

"I will see you again?" Amalthea asked worriedly, for some reason she needed to see this woman again.

"You will." The witch smiled brushing her tapered fingers through Amalthea's hair fondly. "Now close your eyes Amalthea. Let's get you back quickly." Rowena said.

Amalthea closed her eyes and heard the witch mutter a few quiet words, she felt as if she were lying down all of a sudden and when she opened her eyes she was back in her bed in her dormitory, the dress lying at the end of her bed. She sat up and  
touched her hair where the witch had stroked it and it was if she could still feel Rowena with her. Amalthea lay back down and curled into a ball on her side, was this what it was like to miss a mother? She had never known hers but she felt a  
happiness along with sadness that she had met and been parted from this woman, then she drifted into sleep.


End file.
